-i' 


j50FT,;;.^^^; 


JAN    4   1917 


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y 

LIBRARY 
OF  CHRISTIAN   PROGRESS 


Volumes  Issued 

The  Church  a  Community   Force.      By   Worth   M.  Tippy 
The  Church  at  the  Center.      By  Warren  H.   Wilson 
The  Making  of  a  Country  Parish.      By  Harlow  S.  Mills 
Working  Women  of  Japan.      By  Sidney  L.  Gulick 
Social  Evangelism.      By  Harry  F.  Ward 
Church  Finance.      By  Frederick  A.   Agar 


Cloth^  50  Ctnt%^  Prepaid 


ADDITIONAL  VOLUMES  TO  BE  ISSUED 


r\ 


CHURCH    FINANCE 

A  STUDY  OF  WRONG  METH- 
ODS   AND   THE   REMEDY 


BY 


v^ 


FREDERICK  A.  AGAR  ^f^\i. 


NEW  YORK 

Missionary  Education  Movement  of  the 

United  States  and  Canada 

1916 


Copyright,  1915,  by 
MISSIONARY    EDUCATION     MOVEMENT 
OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  AND  CANADA 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTKB  TAGZ 

Preface          .         .         .         .         .  vii 

1  A  True  Picture        ...  i 

II  A  Real  Result      ....  5 

III  The  Relation  of  Cost  to  Value  9 

IV  The  New  Ministry        .         .         .21 
V  The  Function  of  Giving  .         .  31 

VI  Prevalent  Financial  Methods     .  41 
VII   Proper      Methods     of      Church 

Finance          ....  79 


PREFACE 

This  book  is  sent  forth  with  the  expecta- 
tion and  hope  that  it  will  help  to  make 
successful  the  work  of  Christ^s  Church  in 
these  days  of  tremendous  need  and  splendid 
opportunity. 

The  conditions  described  or  the  methods 
advocated  will  not  all  fit  any  one  case,  but 
every  church  will  doubtless  find  some 
material  applicable  to  its  problems  and 
needs. 

Many  friends  have  assisted  in  its  com- 
pilation. I  thank  them  all,  and  in  par- 
ticular the  Rev.  Frank  W.  Padelf ord,  whose 
generous  help  contributed  largely  to  what- 
ever value  there  may  be  in  this  presenta- 
tion of  "the  giving  life"  and  the  adminis- 
tration of  the  resultant  money  within  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ. 

New  York  City  FREDERICK  A.  AGAR. 

October  13,  191 5. 

vii 


I 

A  TRUE  PICTURE 

IN  far-away  Central  Africa,  on  the  banks 
of  the  Kongo  River,  a  young  mission- 
ary went  to  live  and  work.  After  months  of 
happy,  energetic,  never-ending  but  much 
loved  work,  a  terrible  fear  one  day  lodged 
itself  in  the  mind  of  the  man.  The  fear  was 
but  the  beginning  of  great  trouble. 

Crossing  his  office  in  a  hurry  to  procure  a 
medical  case,  he  fell  against  the  rocker  of  a 
chair.  It  ought  to  have  hurt,  for  it  hit  the 
right  spot  a  hard  blow,  but  as  it  did  not  hurt 
there  arose  an  immediate  query  in  his  mind, 
to  be  followed  by  an  examination.  Sitting 
down  on  the  floor  he  bared  the  limb,  and 
with  a  surgical  needle  pricked  the  surface 
until  above  the  ankle  he  discovered  a  spot 
as  large  as  the  palm  of  his  hand  in  which 
there  was  no  sense  of  feeling.  Young  and  in- 

[I] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


experienced  as  he  was,  and  knowing  just  a 
little  about  medicine,  the  man  knew  but  one 
disease  that  had  the  preliminary  symptoms 
he  possessed.  "You  have  leprosy  without  a 
doubt,"  he  said  to  himself,  "but  don't  say 
anything  about  it  yet.  Keep  it  still  for  a 
while."  But  the  trouble  would  not  keep 
still.  The  spot  grew  in  size  each  day  till  it 
covered  the  leg  from  ankle  to  knee.  Then 
the  same  condition  appeared  on  the  other 
limb  and  rapidly  spread,  till  one  day  while 
standing  on  the  porch  of  the  house  talking 
to  a  native,  the  man's  eyes  became  suddenly 
dim  and  he  fell  unconscious  to  the  ground. 
He  was  picked  up  and  carried  in.  When 
he  revived  he  exclaimed,  "Well,  thank 
God,  I  haven't  leprosy,  for  this  is  not  a 
symptom  of  that  disease."  But  what  did  he 
have?  He  did  not  know,  nor  could  any  one 
in  all  that  section  tell  him. 

It  was  evident  what  was  going  on,  but  to 
find  a  cause  or  cure  seemed   impossible. 

[2] 


A  TRUE  PICTURE 


Some  germ  or  poison  was  attacking  the 
nerve  centers  and  putting  them  out  of  com- 
mission, just  as  the  fuse  in  the  building  can 
blow  out,  thereby  putting  out  all  the  elec- 
tric lights.  In  the  body,  however,  when  a 
nerve  center  is  attacked,  just  before  it  ceases 
operation  it  telegraphs  to  the  next  nerve 
center,  "I'm  going  to  stop  business ;  will  you 
quit  also?"  And  unless  a  cure  is  found,  that 
nerve  center  repeats  the  operation,  and  so 
the  process  goes  on  until  all  have  been  at- 
tacked and  cease  to  operate.  When  the 
nerve  centers  have  ceased  to  act  the  func- 
tions of  the  body  are  interfered  with  and  it 
is  soon  helpless  and  paralyzed.  So,  after 
about  two  months  the  inert,  paralyzed  body 
of  the  missionary  lay  on  a  couch  while  he 
waited  for  death.  In  his  agony  he  cried  out, 
"O  God!  let  me  die;  let  me  die!"  For  he 
was  not  only  helpless  and  dependent,  useless 
in  the  midst  of  great  needs,  but  the  time  and 
strength  of  other  missionaries  had  to  be 

[3] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


spent  in  caring  for  him  day  and  night.  So 
it  went  on  till  unconsciousness  eased  the 
weary,  helpless,  though  living  body.  But 
death  did  not  come.  Long  afterward  he 
learned  the  cause  of  all  his  trouble.  He  had 
been  afflicted  with  African  dry  beriberi. 

But  why  this  story?  It  is  not  alone  the 
recital  of  a  personal  experience;  it  also  re- 
lates the  spiritual  experience  of  many  mem- 
bers of  the  Christian  Church.  They  have 
been  afflicted  with  a  fearful  disease.  They 
are  helpless  and  dependent.  They  have  be- 
come paralyzed  because  the  great  nerve 
centers  have  been  diseased  by  some  poison, 
and  their  souls  have  lost  their  spiritual 
functions.  Truly  they  have  a  name  to  live 
on  the  roll  of  a  church,  but  they  have  no 
life.  What  a  loss  this  involves  to  the  mem- 
bers themselves  and  what  a  drain  it  makes 
upon  the  resources  of  the  Church,  so  much 
of  whose  strength  must  be  spent  in  caring 
for  its  diseased  members! 

[4] 


II 

A  REAL  RESULT 

FIVE  weeks  before  the  steamship  Anne 
Boleyn  had  reached  the  harbor  of 
Las  Palmas,  a  sick  and  apparently  dying 
man  in  an  unconscious  condition  had  been 
put  aboard  at  a  West  African  port.  Later 
consciousness  returned,  and  when  the  ship 
anchored  close  to  the  beautiful  shore  of  the 
Canary  Islands,  a  message  to  far-away  Lon- 
don was  dictated — "Am  very  sick;  reach 
Antwerp, — meet  me."  When  the  ship 
docked  at  Antwerp  the  helpless,  paralyzed 
man  lay  on  a  wicker  cot,  to  which  he  had 
been  strapped,  so  that  the  rolling  of  the  ves- 
sel would  not  toss  him  off.  Lying  there, 
unable  to  move,  he  could  watch  one  spot  in 
the  ceiling  above  him.  People  were  coming 
and  going  and  he  could  hear  all  the  noise. 
Suddenly  as  by  an  electric  shock  he  became 

[5] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


conscious  that  there  was  a  step  he  knew. 
Even  in  the  midst  of  many  others  he  knew 
that  one.  There  are  steps  we  have  known 
once,  but  lost  awhile,  but  which  we  have 
not  forgotten  nor  ever  will  forget.  So  he 
followed  the  step  as  it  crossed  the  deck 
above.  He  heard  it  on  the  cabin  stairs.  A 
man  entered  the  little  room  and  stood  by  his 
side.  He  could  not  look,  but  he  knew.  A 
voice  said,  ^Why,  brother!"  and  then  the 
big  fellow  bent  over  and  kissed  him.  Soon 
after,  the  elder  brother  took  the  helpless, 
emaciated  man  in  his  arms,  and  put  him  on 
another  steamer  and  they  crossed  to  Lon- 
don. Then,  carrying  him  as  a  mother 
might  carry  her  child,  the  brother  lifted 
him  into  the  family  carriage,  which  set  off 
down  the  street. 

At  the  turn  of  the  road  he  saw  the  old 

home,  where  he  had  been  born,  and  about 

which  as  a  boy  he  had  played  through  the 

happy,  care-free  boyhood  days,  and  from 

[6] 


A  REAL  RESULT 


which  place  he  had  gone  out  to  wander 
about  the  world.  Now,  sick  and  weary,  he 
was  returning  to  the  old  home  again.  Even 
before  the  carriage  drew  up  in  front  of  the 
house  the  door  flew  open,  and  when  the 
vehicle  stopped  a  big  man  waited  at  the 
edge  of  the  walk  and  from  the  open  car- 
riage door  took  the  older  brother's  bur- 
den. Hugging  him  close  while  he  bent 
down  to  kiss  him,  the  father  said,  "It's  all 
right  now,  son.  You're  home  again  and  we 
will  soon  have  you  well."  So  into  the  house 
he  carried  him.  Before  the  warm,  open  fire 
he  put  his  burden  on  a  couch,  and  with  the 
mother  on  one  side  and  the  father  on  the 
other  and  the  older  brother  behind,  they 
began  the  ministry  of  love  that  fought  for 
the  life  and  health  of  the  lost  member  of 
the  household.  They  loved  him  and  minis- 
tered to  him  with  unceasing  care,  and  after 
many  weary  months  and  years  the  sick  man 
was  quite  well  again. 

[7] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


That  is  my  story.  Now  the  only  sign  of 
those  days  is  that  above  the  face  of  a  man  of 
middle  life  there  is  gray  hair;  otherwise 
only  memory  would  tell  the  story  of  those 
fearful  days.  This  man,  helpless,  useless, 
sick  unto  death,  was  restored  to  fulness  of 
life  by  the  personal  ministry  of  those  who 
loved  him. 

In  the  Christian  Church  there  are  many 
sick,  helpless,  useless  members,  afflicted 
with  disease  quite  as  serious  as  African  beri- 
beri, who  can  be  restored  to  health  only  by  a 
ministry  of  love  in  their  Father's  house.  It 
has  been  done.  It  is  being  done.  These 
pages  tell  the  story. 


[8] 


Ill 

THE  RELATION  OF  COST  TO 
VALUE 

THE  average  church  is  less  than  fifty 
per  cent,  efficient  This  assertion  re- 
quires but  little  proof  to  any  man  familiar 
with  Church  life  in  America.  The  visitor 
to  the  ordinary  church  will  seldom  find  half 
the  members  attending  with  any  regularity 
the  Sunday  morning  service,  and  as  for  the 
evening  service  a  very  small  per  cent,  man- 
ifest any  interest  or  sense  of  responsibility. 
There  are  few  churches  that  secure  the  at- 
tendance of  fifteen  per  cent,  of  their  mem- 
bers at  the  mid-week  services.  The  matter 
of  attendance  at  divine  worship  would  seem 
to  be  fundamental  to  those  who  have  dedi- 
cated their  lives  to  Christ,  but  the  modern 
church  has  not  succeeded  in  arousing  much 
loyalty  in  this  respect.  Our  national 
[9] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


women's  societies  are  telling  their  constit- 
uency that  after  all  their  intensive  work 
they  are  reaching  about  twenty-five  per 
cent,  of  the  women  in  the  churches.  If  a 
church  has  half  of  its  membership  support- 
ing its  worship  and  work  in  any  regular  or 
systematic  way,  it  is  quite  unusual.  There 
are  many  churches  where  fifty  per  cent,  of 
the  members  are  carrying  all  the  financial 
burden.  Christ's  great  commission  to  his 
Church  was  to  evangelize  the  world,  yet 
less  than  one  third  of  its  members  have  been 
giving  to  the  world  enterprise  of  the 
Church.  Many  other  lines  of  proof  can 
easily  be  produced  to  show  the  fearful  lack 
of  efficiency.  There  are  many  things  the 
Church  has  done  and  is  doing  with  great 
and  effective  power.  It  is  a  mighty  force 
in  the  world  and  in  the  local  parish,  but  it 
falls  far  short  of  its  ultimate  goal  because  it 
has  secured  the  efficient  cooperation  of  less 
than  half  its  members.    About  half  have  a 

[lO] 


COST  AND  VALUE 


name  to  live  on  the  Church  roll,  but  no  real 
life  with  normal  functions. 

The  Church  has  long  been  in  the  habit  of 
seeking  and  receiving  new  members  and 
then  has  failed  to  instruct  and  train  these 
members  in  the  great  responsibilities  which 
they  have  assumed.  It  is  not  strange  there- 
fore that  the  Church  has  lost  its  authority. 
The  average  church  has  not  enforced  a 
standard  of  living  or  action.  Almost  every 
communion  has  a  covenant,  articles  of  faith 
or  discipline,  but  in  great  measure  that 
standard  is  a  dead  letter  in  the  life  of  the 
body.  In  a  far-away  African  church, 
where  several  years  before  cannibalism  was 
common,  but  where  the  gospel  had  come 
with  its  cleansing  power  and  God's  new- 
found children  had  been  gathered  into  a 
church,  one  day  at  the  communion  service  I 
saw  four  people  get  up  and  go  aside.  They 
did  it  in  such  a  way  as  to  make  me  ask  the 
missionary  why  they  sat  on  one  side.     He 

[II] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


answered,  "They  are  under  discipline  for 
not  bringing  a  gift  when  they  came  to  wor- 
ship." They  had  a  rule  in  that  church  that 
every  worshiper  must  bring  a  gift.  The 
rule  was  enforced.  We  have  standards 
of  conduct,  requirements  confronting  our 
membership,  and  if  the  Church  is  ever  to  be 
what  it  ought  to  be  in  the  world  we  must 
live  up  to  the  standard  we  have  adopted.  At 
the  very  threshold  of  all  our  Church  life  we 
are  confronted  with  a  distinct  failure  which 
reveals  moral  and  spiritual  dishonesty.  The 
Church  is  the  body  of  Christ,  and  a  body 
has  authority  over  all  its  members  if  the 
conditions  are  normal.  It  is  a  loving,  mu- 
tually entrusted  authority.  It  is  not  pri- 
marily disciplinary.  If  conditions  are  not 
normal  the  body  may  lose  control  of  its 
members,  but  that  condition  presages  dis- 
aster if  long  continued  and  not  remedied. 
If  our  present  standard  is  so  high  that  it  is 
absurd  to  expect  compliance  with  it,  we 

[12] 


COST  AND  VALUE 


need  to  reconstruct  it.    But  a  standard,  en- 
forced and  lived  up  to,  we  must  have. 

It  may  be  asserted  that  the  Christian 
Church  cannot  use  its  authority  to  enforce  a 
standard  of  living  or  action  upon  its  mem- 
bers. There  are  many  other  organizations, 
however,  that  have  definite  requirements, 
and  those  requirements  are  enforced  upon 
the  membership.  In  the  average  lodge 
there  is  a  real  measure  of  loyalty  as  to  finan- 
cial support,  even  when  it  has  no  insurance 
features.  The  average  social  club  finds  its 
membership  loyal.  It  is  the  exception  and 
not  the  rule  in  such  organizations  to  have 
discipline  dispensed  with,  because  the  re- 
quirements are  plain  and  are  understood 
when  membership  is  sought.  The  lodge  or 
social  club  and  the  church  are  upon  differ- 
ent planes,  it  is  true,  and  the  comparison  is 
of  value  only  to  show  that  in  dealing  with 
human  beings  certain  definite  requirements 
can  be  laid  down  and  conformity  to  them 

[13] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


can  be  secured.  There  are  churches  where 
the  roll  is  called  at  every  service  and  it  fre- 
quently happens  that  every  member  is  pres- 
ent, but  unfortunately  the  number  of  such 
churches  is  not  large.  These  churches  are 
among  our  new  Americans,  with  small  but 
intensely  devoted  membership.  In  the  mem- 
bership of  most  churches  we  have  about 
fifty  per  cent,  who  show  real  allegiance,  and 
another  fifty  per  cent,  who  do  not  seem  to 
care  what  happens.  The  Church  unfortu- 
nately is  judged  by  the  latter  class,  and  not 
by  the  former. 

Church-membership  in  America  has  in- 
volved too  little  cost.  We  have  thrown 
wide  the  door  and  made  entrance  very  easy. 
In  Korea,  on  the  other  hand,  when  a  con- 
vert presents  himself  for  membership,  he  is 
asked  for  proof  that  he  has  turned  from 
death  unto  life,  and  the  required  proof  is 
that  he  must  introduce  some  one  else  whom 
he  has  led  to  the  Lord,    There  are  other  re- 

[hJ 


COST  AND  VALUE 


quirements  of  an  equally  expressive  sort.  It 
costs  so  much  that  it  is  counted  worth  while 
to  belong  to  the  Church  in  that  land. 

The  followers  of  Jesus  Christ  in  Russia 
who  have  left  the  state  body  and  are  build- 
ing up  a  Protestant  Church  have  prospered 
wonderfully  in  the  face  of  tremendous 
hardships  and  difficulties.  The  Church  has 
made  this  remarkable  growth  even  though 
membership  involves  hardship,  suffering, 
confiscation  of  property,  imprisonment, 
and,  in  some  cases,  even  exile  in  Siberia. 
Church-membership  has  a  high  cost,  there- 
fore it  has  a  real  value. 

Church-membership  with  us,  however, 
does  not  of  necessity  involve  anything  more 
than  a  mere  profession  of  faith.  One  can 
join  the  Church  and  not  attend  its  public 
worship.  Some  members  do  not  come  to  a 
single  service  in  years.  I  recently  met  a 
leading  Church  official  who  said  he  had  not 
been  in  the  church  building  for  three  years, 

[15] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


yet  family  influence  kept  him  in  office.  In 
another  membership  I  found  one  hundred 
and  fifty  people  who  confessed  that  they 
had  not  attended  a  service  for  periods  of 
from  one  to  ten  years.  Not  more  than  half 
our  members  give  to  support  the  services  of 
their  ov^n  church  and  yet  they  are  seldom 
disciplined  for  this  failure.  Their  standard 
of  life  may  not  differ  perceptibly  from  that 
of  men  who  have  never  made  a  profession 
of  Christian  faith,  but  the  Church  seldom 
calls  them  to  account.  Assuredly  church- 
membership  costing  so  little  is  of  small 
value. 

Church-membership  ought  to  have  a  real 
value.  But  if  we  are  to  impart  any  value  to 
it,  it  must  of  necessity  cost  more  than  it  has 
been  costing.  It  must  have  some  actual  re- 
quirements as  to  life  and  conduct.  The 
church  must  receive  at  least  what  any  lodge 
or  social  club  does  from  its  membership.  It 
should  receive  a  much  higher  form  of  alle- 
[.6] 


COST  AND  VALUE 


giance  because  as  an  organization  it  is  on  a 
higher  and  a  spiritual  basis. 

We  can  scarcely  escape  difficulty  with 
those  members  who  are  already  in  our  ranks 
to-day  because  we  have  let  them  come  in 
without  any  real  requirements,  but  the 
Church  herself  must  bear  that  burden  be- 
cause the  fault  is  largely  her  own.  We 
must  raise  a  new  standard,  however,  and 
henceforth  enforce  it,  and  every  member 
should  be  received  on  a  definite  program  of 
obligation  and  responsibility  which  the 
church  will  see  that  he  lives  up  to.  It  will 
do  better  than  the  lodge  or  social  club, 
which  has  but  one  standard  of  cost  for  all 
people.  The  church  will  base  its  cost  in 
money,  time,  and  energy  upon  the  principle 
^^as  he  may  prosper."  We  may  for  a 
time  receive  fewer  members,  but  those  who 
come  will  be  real  soldiers.  In  the  long 
run,  however,  we  must  receive  even  more, 
because  the  power  of  attraction  is  great,  and 

[17] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


real  heroism  of  living  and  doing  is  tremen- 
dous in  its  influence.  We  need  to  sit  down 
and  count  the  cost,  remembering  that  ''if 
any  man  would  come  after  me,  let  him  .  .  . 
take  up  his  cross,  and  follow  me,"  and  that 
if  any  man  would  save  his  life  he  must  lose 
it  for  Christ's  sake.  Better  half  our  present 
membership  and  a  real  esprit  de  corps,  a 
living  faith,  a  clean,  healthy  functioning 
life,  than  a  membership  half  of  which  has  a 
name  to  live  on  the  church  books,  but  no 
real  life  of  faith  and  works. 

Let  us  have  a  new  spirit  of  heroism  in  our 
Church  service.  A  pastor  not  long  ago  is- 
sued a  call  to  his  people  for  some  real 
heroic  living,  and  his  interpretation  of  her- 
oism was  that  the  members  should  attend 
the  Sunday  services  and  the  prayer-meet- 
ing. What  nonsense!  We  might  as  well 
call  upon  the  citizens  of  the  countries  now 
at  war  to  show  a  spirit  of  patriotism  by  eat- 
ing their  meals  regularly. 
['8] 


COST  AND  VALUE 


Is  our  Christian  profession  worth  noth- 
ing? In  Wall  Street  a  curb  broker  by  a 
crook  of  his  finger  gives  an  order,  and  it  is 
said  that  practically  never  has  a  broker 
been  known  to  break  his  word  in  that  trans- 
action. Yet  men  will  make  vows  to  God 
and  his  Church,  never  really  intending  to 
keep  them,  and  they  seldom  do. 

But  you  cannot  legislate  a  high  standard 
of  living  into  the  church.  It  is  not  a  matter 
of  legislation,  but  of  life.  You  cannot  se- 
cure the  needed  standard  by  discipline 
alone.  It  will  come  only  as  a  result  of  vision 
and  passion.  A  new  vision  must  be  given  to 
all  our  new  members  and  a  contagious  pas- 
sion must  be  imparted  to  each  of  them.  We 
must  create  in  their  hearts  a  real  love  for 
Christ  and  his  Church.  Out  of  this  love  we 
shall  realize  a  devotion  that  must  set  the 
Kingdom  forward.  We  must  plant  this  love 
in  our  own  hearts  and  then  impart  it  to  our 
new  members.    Love  never  counts  the  cost. 

[19] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


Think  what  love  of  home  and  country  has 
made  men  do  and  give,  as  they  fight  in  the 
war  being  waged  across  the  waters.  Suffer- 
ings indescribable,  hardships  unexampled 
— yea,  life  itself  given  up  in  order  to  serve. 
We  are  soldiers  of  a  King,  fighting  for  a 
home  and  country  against  as  real  an  enemy 
as  any  one  ever  fought.  Shall  we  not  have 
a  real  and  true  heroism  in  our  service? 
Such  heroism  and  such  devotion  are  the 
great  needs  of  the  Christian  Church. 


[20l 


IV 
THE  NEW  MINISTRY 

IN  the  early  Christian  Church  there 
were  two  phases  of  ministry,  that 
which  was  entrusted  to  the  apostles  and  that 
which  was  shared  by  all  the  members.  The 
apostles  were  set  apart  for  the  ministry  of 
the  Word.  They  were  ordained  to  be  the 
public  proclaimers  of  the  new  faith.  To 
this  work  they  apparently  devoted  all  their 
time.  But  the  apostles  were  not  the  only 
prophets  of  the  Word.  All  those  who  em- 
braced the  new  faith  became  heralds  of  the 
gospel.  ^They  that  were  scattered  abroad 
went  everywhere  proclaiming  the  word." 
This  was  a  universal  ministry,  shared  in  by 
all  the  members  of  the  Church.  Above  and 
beyond  all  their  occupations  they  made  it 
the  business  of  their  lives  to  repeat  the  story 
of  grace  by  which  they  had  been  redeemed. 

[21] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


It  was  because  of  this  universal  ministry 
that  ''the  Lord  added  to  them  day  by  day 
those  that  were  saved." 

This  double  ministry  ought  to  obtain  to- 
day in  every  Christian  church.  Conditions 
of  life  have  greatly  changed  in  this  modern 
world.  It  is  a  different  world  that  we  have 
to  win  back  to  Christ  from  that  in  which  the 
early  Church  first  proclaimed  the  gospel. 
But  the  necessity  for  this  double  ministry 
has  never  ceased.  The  Church  still  has  need 
of  its  prophets,  called  and  ordained  of  God, 
devoting  all  their  time  to  the  public  minis- 
try of  the  Word,  and  supported  by  the 
funds  of  the  Lord's  treasury,  provided  by 
the  members  of  the  Church  for  the  purpose 
of  this  ministry.  Christ  is  their  Master  and 
their  orders  must  come  from  their  Lord. 
True,  they  are  any  man's  servant  for 
Christ's  sake,  but  they  themselves  have  but 
one  Master.  They  are  the  under-shepherds 
of  a  flock  whose  Shepherd  is  Christ. 

[22] 


THE  NEW  MINISTRY 


But  every  church  needs  the  other  minis- 
try which  obtained  in  the  early  Church. 
This  was  foreshadowed  in  the  commission 
of  the  Master  when  he  sent  out  many  of  his 
disciples  into  the  neighboring  towns  and 
villages  with  his  message.  Paul  indicated 
that  in  each  church  there  was  a  ministry  for 
each  disciple.  ^'And  he  gave  some  to  be 
apostles;  and  some,  prophets;  and  some, 
evangelists ;  and  some,  pastors  and  teachers ; 
for  the  perfecting  of  the  saints  unto  the 
work  of  ministering,  unto  the  building  up 
of  the  body  of  Christ."  Every  member  of 
the  household  of  faith  has  a  ministry  to  ren- 
der, a  ministry  of  fellowship.  The  recogni- 
tion of  this  divine  plan  and  the  adoption  of 
this  twofold  ministry  is  the  great  outstand- 
ing need  of  the  Church  to-day. 

Our  churches  have  lacked  a  complete 
ministry,  and  lacking  it  they  have  grown 
weak.  We  have  had  too  much  feeding  and 
not  enough  exercise  for  the  food  taken.    It 

[23] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


is  an  accepted  principle  in  spiritual,  scien- 
tific, biological,  and  pedagogical  realms 
that  every  impression  must  have  expression 
or  danger  and  even  damage  results.  The 
Church  has  had  a  plethora  of  impressions, 
but  a  serious  lack  of  expression.  The  re- 
adoption  of  the  New  Testament  ministry 
v^ill  change  this  somewhat.  We  shall  have 
large  opportunity  for  expression  and  then 
impressions  will  sink  deeper  and  will  be 
more  lasting  and  fruitful.  The  body  has 
two  arms  and  two  hands.  We  can  live  if  we 
have  only  one  arm  and  hand,  but  the  body  is 
incomplete.  So  the  Church  has  two  minis- 
tries as  part  of  one  body.  It  can  exist  with 
but  one,  but  the  body  is  incomplete,  its 
powers  and  pleasures  are  limited,  its  com- 
pleteness and  beauty  are  marred. 

The  adoption  of  this  New  Testament 
plan  would  rid  our  churches  of  the  danger 
of  a  hired  ministry.  A  hired  ministry!  Con- 
sider what  that  means  to  a  Christian  church. 

[24] 


THE  NEW  MINISTRY 


The  people  that  hire  have  a  right  to  control 
the  one  they  pay.  They  have  a  right  to  dic- 
tate the  line  of  his  procedure  and  activities. 
They  may  say  come,  and  he  must  come ;  and 
if  they  say  go,  he  must  go.  If  the  people 
who  hire  are  pleased,  then  all  will  be  well ; 
but  if  they  are  displeased,  then  why  use 
their  money  to  sustain  their  own  displeas- 
ure? If  their  tastes  are  for  soft  and  beauti- 
ful palliatives,  and  they  do  not  like  the 
strong  and  commanding  truths,  of  course 
their  hired  man  must  furnish  them  with 
what  they  prefer.  If  a  few  give  much  of 
the  money  to  hire  the  minister,  of  course 
they  have  the  largest  right  to  the  hired  man, 
and  a  real  boss  or  group  of  bosses  may  de- 
velop. They  will  pull  the  strings  and  lead 
him  in  the  direction  they  desire.  Those  who 
pay  will  develop  a  sense  of  ownership  over 
the  one  they  pay,  and  the  man  paid  will 
soon  feel  that  he  is  owned. 

The  result  upon  those  who  hire  is  not  less 

[25] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


unfortunate  than  upon  him  who  is  hired. 
They  are  likely  to  sit  back  in  their  comfort- 
able pews  and  in  their  ease  listen  to  the 
words  of  their  servant,  but  his  summons  to 
service  has  little  effect  upon  them. 

Are  such  ideas  at  all  prevalent?  They  are 
not  universal,  but  they  are  altogether  too 
prevalent  in  individual  minds,  though  less 
prevalent  perhaps  in  organized  churches. 
Not  long  ago  the  author  was  in  a  deacons' 
meeting,  and  a  need  was  presented  for  some 
calls  to  be  made  upon  people  to  whom  the 
pastor  had  constantly  ministered  and  who 
needed  help  from  the  lay  ministry.  It  meant 
an  hour's  time,  some  love,  sympathy,  and 
prayer.  All  declined  to  undertake  it  on  the 
ground  that  they  did  not  have  time,  and 
then  one  added  significantly,  ^^That  is  your 
job,  pastor."  They  forgot  that  the  office  of 
deacon  involves  a  real  task  and  was  never 
intended  simply  as  an  official  position  of 
honor. 

[  26  ] 


THE  NEW  MINISTRY 


A  new  enterprise  was  suggested  to  a 
church.  It  received  the  formal  approval  of 
members  and  pastor.  Early  next  morning 
the  minister  received  a  sweetly  perfumed 
note,  and  in  gentle  but  forceful  words,  the 
writer  advised  against  the  plan  and  added, 
'Tt  does  not  please  me,  so  of  course  you  will 
see  that  it  is  not  carried  out  in  our  church." 
The  writer  of  that  note  paid  about  half  of 
the  money  needed  for  the  support  of  the 
church,  and  the  bitterness  of  it  all  was  that 
the  hundreds  of  other  members  had  let  her 
do  it  year  after  year  till  it  seemed  as  if  she 
owned  the  church  and  the  minister  was  her 
hired  servant,  to  do  her  bidding.  Giving  is 
but  one  indication  of  interest.  There  are 
other  indications  just  as  important,  and  we 
must  not  let  a  sordid  spirit  control  the 
Church.  We  must  protect  the  Church  from 
the  sense  of  a  hired  ministry. 

When  Christ  instituted  the  lay  ministry 
of  grace,  love,  and  fellowship,  he  sent  out 

[27] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


his  ministers  two  by  two,  and  when  their 
task  was  completed  for  the  time  being  they 
came  back  to  him  and  together  they  ex- 
changed experiences.  To-day  we  need  to 
organize  our  lay  ministry  on  this  pattern  of 
Christ's.  Every  member  should  have  part 
in  it.  We  need  to  send  our  members  out 
two  by  two  for  the  purpose  of  spreading  the 
news  of  salvation  and  grace,  and  on  many 
other  errands  of  service,  and  we  must  needs 
continue  "till  we  all  attain  unto  the  unity  of 
the  faith,  and  of  the  knowledge  of  the  Son 
of  God,  unto  a  full-grown  man,  unto  the 
measure  of  the  stature  of  the  fulness  of 
Christ."  This  New  Testament  method  of 
the  lay  ministry  of  twos  has  of  late  been 
adopted  by  many  churches  and  with  most 
surprising  results.  We  have  been  witness- 
ing a  new  demonstration  in  many  quarters 
of  the  divine  approval  of  this  apostolic 
method.  Here  are  some  of  its  uses  to  which 
it  has  been  put:  '^ 

[28] 


THE  NEW  MINISTRY 


1.  To  secure  new  scholars  for  the  Sun- 

day-school. 

2.  To   promote   acquaintance   and   fel- 

lowship within  the  congregation. 

3.  To  acquaint  members  with  those  at- 

tending some  phase  of  church  ac- 
tivity, but  who  are  not  members  of 
the  church  itself. 

4.  To  secure  the  reading  of  missionary 

and  church  papers  and  books. 

5.  To  talk  up  the  good  points  of  church 

life  and  its  ministry. 

6.  To   secure  men   for   a  brotherhood 

group. 

7.  To  study  the  conditions  in  the  neigh- 

borhood surrounding  the  church. 

8.  To    acquaint   church-members   with 

the  value  of  church  and  Christian 
life. 

9.  To  secure  from  every  church-mem- 

ber an  adequate  subscription  for 
local  church  support  and  King- 
dom-wide missions. 

Here  are  some  results  summed  up  from  a 
number  of  definite  experiences  in  connec- 
tion with  this  new-old  ministry: 

I.  New  currents  of  life  have  been  pro- 

[29] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


jected  into  the  activities  of  the 
church. 

2.  Souls  are  often  saved  during  a  can- 

vass carried  on  by  the  church  for 
financial  support  or  fellowship. 

3.  Cold    and   neglectful    members    are 

won  back. 

4.  A  new  vision  of  Kingdom  and  church 

is  seen. 

5.  The  church  and  pastor  are  projected 

as  world  powers  rather  than  local 
forces. 

6.  Educational  processes  are  multiplied 

throughout  the  life  of  the  church. 

7.  Larger  congregations  hear  the  Word 

preached. 

8.  New  scholars  are  found  in  the  Bible 

school. 

9.  More  men  are  at  work  in  the  church. 

10.  The  minister  has  better  support. 

1 1.  A  sense  of  solidarity  ensues. 

12.  The  contagion  of  example  is  evident. 

13.  Fellowship  has  a  larger  meaning,  be- 

cause a  knowledge  of  the  homes, 
the  experiences,  and  the  personali- 
ties of  others  is  acquired. 


[30] 


V 

THE  FUNCTION  OF  GIVING 

THE  Church  has  seldom  treated  the 
subject  and  the  act  of  giving  as  neces- 
sarily vital  to  the  life  of  the  individual  or 
the  Church.  Giving  has  been  classed  among 
the  business  enterprises  of  the  Church,  and 
has  been  relegated  to  the  care  of  the  legal 
officers  of  the  body — trustees — often  men 
who  deal  with  the  financial  service  of  the 
church  from  a  commercial  point  of  view. 
Beneficence  therefore  has  drifted  away 
from  its  proper  spiritual  environment  until 
serious  conditions  have  forced  a  realization 
of  the  mistake.  Now  we  are  beginning  to 
put  this  Christian  grace  of  giving  where  it 
belongs,  as  one  of  the  vital  functions  of  the 
soul,  and  therefore  necessary  to  a  healthy, 
abounding  Christian  life. 

It  is  generally  true  that  the  people  who 

[31] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


give  systematically  are  those  who  attend  the 
services  of  God's  house  with  regularity.  It 
is  further  true  that  the  people  who  give  and 
attend  with  regularity  are  those  who  can  be 
counted  upon  to  do  all  that  is  being  done 
within  the  bounds  of  the  local  church  activ- 
ities. In  the  course  of  the  past  few  months 
thousands  of  church  officers  have  been 
asked  if  this  is  not  true,  and  it  has  always 
been  acknowledged  as  true  to  experience. 
Worship,  giving,  doing,  seem  therefore  to 
accompany  each  other.  That  is  significant. 
Of  course,  there  are  exceptions.  It  is  also 
true  that  in  a  church  where  the  tide  of 
spiritual  power  is  highest  there  is  compara- 
tive financial  prosperity.  People  wonder 
why  Billy  Sunday  is  able  to  raise  so  much 
money  to  meet  expenses,  build  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  buildings,  and  so  on. 
In  the  meetings  which  he  leads  there  de- 
velops a  tremendous  spiritual  wave.  That 
is  all  the  explanation  necessary,  for  when 

[32] 


THE  FUNCTION  OF  GIVING 

there  is  spiritual  enthusiasm,  money  flows 
forth  in  ever-increasing  measure. 

We  need  to  use  the  best  business  powers 
possessed  by  the  Church  in  connection  with 
the  administration  of  Church  finances,  but 
in  connection  with  the  givers  we  must  re- 
member that  we  are  dealing  with  a  vital 
spiritual  function. 

There  are  two  great  functions  of  every 
normal  life,  assimilation  and  expression. 
The  importance  of  the  first  function  has 
always  held  the  attention  of  the  Christian 
Church.  Its  fundamental  character  was 
emphasized  by  Jesus  in  his  great  address 
upon  the  vine  and  the  branches.  The  dis- 
ciple who  would  maintain  a  normal, 
healthy,  spiritual  life  must  abide  in  Christ, 
as  the  branch  is  related  to  the  vine,  and  con- 
stantly assimilate  in  his  own  life  the  strength 
and  vitality  of  Christ.  There  can  be  no 
health  without  this,  and  this  fact  the  Church 
has  always  emphasized. 

[33] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


Some  time  ago  the  vacant  seat  beside  me 
on  a  train  going  west  was  taken  by  a  woman 
of  foreign  speech.  In  her  arms  she  carried 
a  babe.  On  glancing  at  the  face  of  the 
little  one,  I  was  startled  by  its  deathly  ap- 
pearance, and  said,  'Tretty  bad,  pretty  bad." 
She  answered,  "He  die  soon,  he  die  very 
soon."  "No  eat  food?"  I  asked,  and  then 
she  threw  up  her  hands  and  said,  "No  takee 
food,  never!  He  die  soon."  When  that 
child  was  born,  it  was  expected  to  develop 
normally  the  function  of  assimilation, 
whereby  the  body  takes  the  food  and  trans- 
forms it  into  blood,  flesh,  bone,  and  muscle. 
If  the  child  is  to  live  and  the  life  is  to 
prosper,  assimilation  must  be  natural,  just 
as  the  lungs  must  function  properly.  That 
child  had  never  functioned  properly;  it  was 
dying.  The  soul  has  the  same  vital  func- 
tions. Unless  those  functions  develop  in  the 
life  when  it  is  born  again  into  God's  king- 
dom, the  spiritual  life  will  wither  and  die. 

[34] 


THE  FUNCTION  OF  GIVING 

But  the  function  of  expression  is  equally 
important,  and  where  there  is  a  normal, 
healthy,  spiritual  life  it  will  always  be 
found.  It  should  begin  with  birth.  Too 
often  we  have  been  so  greatly  interested  in 
getting  the  life,  that  we  have  failed  to  give 
it  proper  care  when  it  came  to  us.  We 
have  been  more  interested  in  gathering 
members  for  our  churches  than  in  helping 
those  new  members  toward  a  strong,  healthy 
life  after  they  came  to  us.  When  a  little 
babe  comes  into  the  world  and  it  does  not 
develop  normally  the  function  of  heart  ac- 
tion, does  the  surgeon  look  at  the  little  one 
lying  there  in  its  weakness  and  then  go  out 
and  leave  it?  He  examines  it  carefully  to 
see  what  is  wrong,  and  as  soon  as  he  dis- 
covers the  abnormal  condition,  he  tries  a 
remedy.  If  that  does  not  produce  the  de- 
sired result,  he  has  other  methods  to  try. 
But  he  gets  the  heart  to  function,  if  it  is 
possible.     If  it  will  not,  death  comes. 

[35] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


The  function  of  the  soul  life  must  be 
started  at  once  under  the  most  skilful  care. 
No  care  is  too  great  to  give  the  soul  in  that 
endeavor.  Then  the  function  must  be 
normally  maintained,  as  laid  down  in  our 
spiritual  law  book  in  i  Cor.  xvi.  2 — ^'Upon 
the  first  day  of  the  week  let  each  one  of 
you  lay  by  him  in  store,  as  he  may  prosper." 
The  natural  law  in  dealing  with  the  bodily 
functions  is  quite  plain,  and  so  is  the  spirit- 
ual law  in  connection  with  the  soul. 

Many  think,  however,  that  these  spiritual 
functions  are  not  vital,  and  are  in  fact  only 
relatively  important.  Have  you  noticed 
that  the  great  apostle  speaks  of  giving  as 
a  ''grace"  (2  Cor.  viii.  6,  7)?  Then  he 
classes  failure  to  give,  or  holding  on  to 
what  you  have — covetousness — as  belong- 
ing with  murder  and  adultery  in  the  sight 
of  God. 

Notice  that  when  Paul  has  climbed  the 
spiritual  heights  till  he  sees  how  death  is 
[36  I 


THE  FUNCTION  OF  GIVING 

swallowed  up  in  victory  (i  Cor.  xv),  he 
climbs  still  further  on — ^'But  thanks  be  to 
God,  who  giveth  us  the  victory  through 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Wherefore,  my 
beloved  brethren,  be  ye  steadfast,  unmov- 
able,  always  abounding  in  the  work  of  the 
Lord,  forasmuch  as  ye  know  that  your  labor 
is  not  in  vain  in  the  Lord.  Now,  concern- 
ing the  collection  for  the  saints,  as  I  gave 
order  to  the  churches  of  Galatia,  so  also 
do  ye.  Upon  the  first  day  of  the  week  let 
each  one  of  you  lay  by  him  in  store,  as  he 
may  prosper,  that  no  collections  be  made 
when  I  come."  Remembering  that  our 
chapter  marks  were  not  in  the  original 
letter,  does  it  seem  an  unworthy  transition 
of  thought  to  pass  from  victory  through 
Christ  to  collections  and  giving?  The 
apostle  makes  such  transitions  of  thought 
very  often,  because  to  great  spiritual  heights 
are  linked  the  duties  which  we  have  called 
common.  Not  common  in  reality,  but  vital 
[37  1 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


as  the  victory  itself  because  part  of  the 
victory.  In  the  ninth  chapter  of  his  second 
letter  to  the  Corinthians  we  see  again  how 
to  almsgiving  he  couples  that  wonderful 
phrase,  "Thanks  be  to  God  for  his  unspeak- 
able gift." 

You  cannot  separate  a  man's  money  or 
possessions  from  the  man  himself.  There 
are  some  people  who  seem  to  think  that 
they  can  give  themselves  to  God  and  to 
Christ's  Church,  but  that  such  an  act  has 
no  relation  to  their  money.  Such  a  separa- 
tion cannot  be  made  successfully.  What 
does  the  money  which  I  have  honestly 
acquired  really  represent?  Is  it  not  an 
equivalent  of  myself — my  time,  my  energy, 
and  my  strength?    So  it  is  really  I  myself. 

Giving  is  therefore  a  vital  function  of 
the  soul  life.  It  must  be  in  every  normal, 
spiritual  experience,  and  it  must  be  regu- 
larly maintained.  Without  this  function 
the  soul  will  wither  and  die.    There  can  be 

[38] 


THE  FUNCTION  OF  GIVING 

no  substitute  for  digestion  in  the  physical 
life.  Predigested  food  will  do  for  a  short 
while,  but  if  used  for  a  prolonged  period, 
it  will  bring  the  body  to  starvation  and 
death.  Equally  so  the  man  who  fails  to 
develop  the  grace  of  giving,  the  function 
of  expression,  is  doomed  to  death. 

When  we  face  the  real  facts  in  modern 
Church  life  we  are  forced  to  recognize  that 
the  reason  why  we  have  so  many  unde- 
veloped, uninterested,  useless  members  is 
that  at  the  very  beginning  of  their  spiritual 
experience  the  Church  itself  failed  to  de- 
velop in  them  the  normal  and  necessary 
function  of  expression,  this  Christian  grace 
of  giving.  We  shall  never  have  the  right 
kind  of  churches  until  we  develop  in  our 
people  '^this  grace  also."  The  church  needs 
to  face  this  serious  fact  to-day. 


[39] 


VI 

PREVALENT  FINANCIAL 
METHODS 

IT  is  estimated  that  about  half  the 
members  of  the  Christian  Church  do 
not  give  regularly  for  either  Church  sup- 
port or  beneficence.  The  half  that  do  give 
are  bearing  all  the  burden.  They  are  meet- 
ing the  obligations  that  should  be  shared 
by  all  members.  In  many  cases  this  strains 
resources,  causes  v^orry,  pressure,  and 
trouble.  The  financial  side  of  Church  life 
has  become  a  most  disagreeable  and  dan- 
gerous phase.  Resources  are  limited,  and 
all  that  should  be  done  cannot  be  done. 
The  minister  is  usually  underpaid  and  that 
w^eakens  the  character  of  the  w^ork  and  its 
results.  Many  expressional  activities  that 
should  result  from  impressions  made  in  the 
service  of  worship  are  lacking  because  of 

[41] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


financial  limitations.  God's  people  have  in 
their  charge  money  enough  to  do  all  that 
should  be  done  if  they  would  but  function 
normally. 

The  present  financial  administration 
causes  large  loss  to  the  Church.  The  lack 
of  sufficient  funds  to  maintain  the  Church 
has  often  created  difficulties  which  have 
become  disastrous.  Pressure  is  exerted 
which  involves  pulpit  and  pews ;  estrange- 
ments arise,  and  members  are  lost.  Mem- 
bers receive  the  idea  that  the  Church  wants 
their  money  more  than  it  wants  them.  They 
are  not  altogether  to  blame.  They  do  not 
object  when  the  lodge  or  social  club  sends 
them  a  dun.  They  expect  it  and  pay  at 
once.  They  value  their  membership  and 
accepted  it  knowing  that  it  would  entail  a 
certain  cost.     In  the  church  they  are  not 

(started  right.  They  are  often  allowed, 
even  urged,  to  come  in  without  any  definite 
explanation  of  their  obligations.    Later  on 

[42] 


PREVALENT  METHODS 

request  is  made  for  money.  It  comes  as  an 
unpleasant  surprise.  They  had  never 
stopped  to  consider  that,  if  the  church  is  to 
be  sustained,  it  must  receive  its  support  from 
the  members  themselves.  The  gospel  is 
free,  but  true  worship  never  is,  for  that  in- 
volves giving  up  of  self  to  honor  God. 

But  suppose  a  member  escapes  that  diffi- 
culty. Another  often  appears  in  the  shape 
of  numerous  appeals  to  support  the  Sunday- 
school,  the  Ladies'  Aid  Society,  the 
Woman's  Mission  Circle,  the  Young  Peo- 
ple's Society,  the  church  socials,  and  many 
other  things.  Recently  when  going  home 
from  Sunday  morning  service,  a  church- 
member  said  to  me  that  six  requests  for 
money  had  come  to  her  between  the  close 
of  the  service  and  her  departure  from  the 
church  building.  That  puts  a  regular 
begging  aspect  on  all  the  church  activities. 
Is  it  any  wonder  that  a  new  member  often 
becomes  disgusted  with  the  church?     He 

[43] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


believes  that  when  the  giving  function  has 
been  properly  exercised  on  behalf  of  the 
church  and  its  missionary  enterprises,  the 
solicitations  for  money  should  practically 
cease.  Not  so  to-day,  for  there  are  many 
organizations  in  the  church,  some  of  them 
divisive,  all  eager  for  support.  Often 
each  segment  makes  a  separate  appeal  for 
money  and  one  phase  is  unrelated  to  any 
other  in  the  church  life.  Sometimes  there 
is  rampant  antagonism  between  the  various 
segments,  and  one  cause  is  supported  to  the 
exclusion  of  and  at  the  expense  of  another. 
If  the  workers,  pushing  a  relatively  un- 
important segment,  happen  to  be  aggres- 
sive, the  resources  of  the  givers  are  ex- 
hausted by  that  one  phase,  and  when  the 
really  important  things  appeal  for  support 
there  is  nothing  left  to  give.  Thus  the  unity 
of  the  church  is  lost.  The  unity  of  the 
world-wide  Kingdom  is  shattered  into 
numerous  fragments.    Bad  feeling,  jealous- 

[44] 


PREVALENT  METHODS 

ies,  and  failure  often  result.  The  whole  is 
sacrificed  for  a  part.  The  willing,  generous 
people  give  and  give  repeatedly.  They 
become  bewildered  by  the  multitude  and 
complexity  of  the  calls.  Those  who  decline 
to  give  often  do  so  in  such  a  spirit  that 
henceforth  they  are  left  severely  alone.  So 
the  burden  grows  abnormally  large  in  one 
direction,  and  abnormally  small  in  another. 
Causes  are  not  properly  related  to  the  whole 
nor  to  the  rest  of  the  parts.  Some  have 
overemphasis,  others  no  emphasis  at  all. 

We  all  believe  heartily  in  our  women's 
societies  and  in  the  great  work  they  are 
doing.  They  have  often  led  in  the  march 
of  progress.  But  sometimes  we  find  a  con- 
dition like  this :  In  a  certain  church  the 
Woman's  Missionary  Society  gathers  from 
men  and  women  in  the  parish  about  $1,400 
a  year,  all  of  which  goes  to  women's  mis- 
sion work,  while  the  contribution  from  the 
church   for  general   missions   is  less   than 

[45] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


$400.  Of  course  the  church  is  blame- 
worthy, decidedly  so,  but  some  responsi- 
bility must  rest  upon  the  women  who  have 
lost  sight  of  the  whole  in  their  zeal  to  serve 
a  part.  A  woman  is  first  of  all  a  Christian, 
then  a  church-member,  and  because  of  those 
two  relations  she  is,  or  should  be,  interested 
in  women's  work.  All  of  the  women  in  that 
church  ought  speedily  to  see  that  their 
church  adequately  faces  its  responsibility 
in  larger  things  before  a  part  of  the  work 
absorbs  all  the  available  resources.  Not 
long  ago  a  woman  said  to  me,  "If  I  have 
only  a  dollar  to  give,  am  I  not  right  in 
giving  it  all  to  woman's  mission  work?" 
When  I  replied  that  she  was  decidedly 
wrong,  she  at  once  proclaimed  me  an  enemy 
to  woman's  mission  work.  I  believe  in  it 
firmly.  I  contribute  toward  it  as  a  phase 
of  Kingdom  activities.  Every  church- 
member  should  share  in  its  work  because 
it  is  an  important  and  essential  phase  of 
[46! 


PREVALENT  METHODS 

Kingdom  activity.  On  the  other  hand,  the 
attitude  of  churches  toward  the  women's 
societies  has  not  always  been  just  or  gener- 
ous. Often  they  have  been  forced  to  gather 
their  support  under  conditions  that  made  it 
most  trying,  but  they  have  succeeded  in 
spite  of  everything.  The  Church  must  give 
the  women's  societies  proper  recognition, 
and  the  women's  societies  must  realize  that 
they  are  but  one  of  the  many  activities  that 
make  the  life  of  the  whole  Church. 

The  divisive  element  has  done  its  harm- 
ful work  by  detaching  the  part  from  the 
whole,  so  that  the  part  has  become  in  the 
eyes  of  many  greater  even  than  all  the  rest 
put  together.  In  visiting  a  church  not  long 
ago  a  young  people's  meeting  was  found 
with  eighty-four  in  attendance.  They  had 
a  splendid  meeting.  When  it  was  over, 
seventy-eight  of  those  young  people  went 
out  of  the  church  building,  and  only  six  of 
them    found    their    places    in    the    church 

[47] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


service  that  followed  immediately.  Many 
of  these  young  men  and  women  were  not 
contributing  a  cent  to  the  church  of  which 
they  were  members.  Their  contributions 
all  went  to  the  work  done  under  the  auspices 
of  their  society.  No  one  segment  of  the 
church  deserves  all  the  blame,  all  must 
share  it. 

When  we  consider  the  methods  used  to 
obtain  support  for  Church  enterprises, 
what  a  disorganized,  unbusinesslike  con- 
fusion is  found!  The  wear  and  tear  of  pro- 
viding for  the  needs  of  the  church  distracts 
us  from  our  greater  task,  and  then  that  is 
done  in  a  poor  and  inefficient  way.  Schemes 
that  are  not  Christian,  all  sorts  of  tactics 
that  will  produce  results,  and  almost  any- 
thing that  will  avoid  the  necessity  of  direct 
giving  are  employed.  In  consequence  the 
church  is  humiliated  in  the  eyes  of  the  busi- 
ness world  for  her  poverty  and  her  miser- 
able financial  system. 

[48] 


PREVALENT  METHODS 

The  following  methods  are  all  in  use  to- 
day to  obtain  money  for  Church  work.  In 
some  places  one  method  obtains,  in  others 
you  may  find  several,  sometimes  nearly  all 
of  them  combined. 

I.  The  Pew  Rent  System.  This  is  an 
old  system,  adopted  originally  in  the  New 
England  churches  when  every  citizen  was 
expected,  as  a  part  of  his  citizenship,  to 
rent  a  pew  in  the  parish  church.  From  New 
England  this  system  spread  throughout  the 
whole  country  and  for  more  than  a  genera- 
tion was  the  customary  system  in  a  great 
majority  of  American  churches.  The  plan 
still  exists  among  many  churches  in  all  sec- 
tions of  the  land.  Under  this  system  each 
member  is  expected  to  pay  some  amount  for 
the  yearly  rental  of  a  sitting.  If  a  member 
has  much  money,  he  can  buy  the  seat  he 
desires,  but  if  he  has  only  a  little,  he  must 
take  what  is  left  over  after  the  rich  have 
had  their  choice.    We  forget  that  it  is  God's 

[49] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


house.    We  do  not  go  there  to  buy,  but  to 
give. 

2.  Donations.  This  system  is  also  a  sur- 
vival of  the  ancient  custom  which  prevailed 
very  v^idely  in  country  districts  and  still 
prevails  in  some  sections  to-day.  Donations 
for  the  support  of  the  minister  are  solicited 
occasionally  or  annually  throughout  the 
parish.  But  the  church  is  not  a  charity, 
nor  is  the  minister  an  object  of  charity. 
Therefore  this  system  has  no  merit  to  com- 
mend it  in  any  church. 

3.  Subscription  Papers.  Once  a  year 
papers  are  passed  around  the  parish  and 
people  are  asked  to  sign  w^hat  they  expect 
to  give.  They  may  pay  when  they  please. 
Usually  great  care  is  exercised  to  induce 
the  largest  subscribers  to  sign  first.  This 
system  still  obtains  very  largely  in  rural 
communities  and  possesses  little  more  to 
commend  it  than  the  older  plan  of  dona- 
tions. 

[50] 


PREVALENT  METHODS 

4.  Begging  Bees.  At  a  public  gathering 
the  pastor  or  some  leading  member  tells 
some  funny  or  heartrending  story,  then  ap- 
peals for  money  and  takes  all  he  can  secure 
under  the  excitement  of  the  moment.  Many 
people  give  under  stress  or  pressure  or  ex- 
citement and  not  seriously  and  deliberately. 
I  have  known  cases  where  the  church  doors 
were  locked  and  no  one  was  permitted  to 
leave  until  the  necessary  sum  was  sub- 
scribed. This  plan  gives  small  recognition 
to  the  New  Testament  principle  of  giving. 

5.  The  Individual  Collector.  Under 
this  system  one  person  is  appointed  by  the 
church  or  society  to  make  the  round  of  the 
parish  and  secure  such  subscriptions  as  are 
possible.  An  old  man  arose  recently  in  a 
conference  and  said,  "I  have  been  collector 
for  my  church  for  twenty  years.  I  get  the 
money  any  old  way,  so  long  as  I  get  it,  and 
I  don't  care  who  gives  it  either."  His  pastor 
remarked  that  the  old  man   drove  more 

\5i] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


people  out  of  the  church  than  all  the  rest 
of  them  could  add  to  it  Unfortunately 
this  plan  is  still  in  vogue  in  a  great  many 
churches.  It  is  fortunate  if  the  collector  is 
a  man  who  is  in  general  favor  in  the  parish. 
But  the  unpleasant  task  is  likely  to  make 
any  man  unacceptable  in  any  community. 

6.  Hit  or  Miss  Plan.  Loose  collections 
are  taken  at  the  morning  and  evening  serv- 
ices. A  small  group  of  influential  people 
guarantee  and  make  up  any  deficit.  These 
guarantors  naturally  have  a  large  voice  in 
the  control  of  the  organization.  Those  who 
make  only  occasional  contributions  are 
scarcely  in  a  position  to  question  the 
dominance  of  others. 

7.  Free  Will  Offerings.  Churches  which 
follow  this  system  take  no  collections  at  any 
service.  Boxes  are  placed  at  convenient 
points  around  the  church  building  and 
people  give  what  they  please,  when  they 
please.     There  are  not  many  churches  of 

[52] 


PREVALENT  METHODS 

this  character  and  pastorates  within  them 
are  usually  short. 

8.  Assessments.  Assessments  are  made 
upon  various  members  by  the  finance  com- 
mittee as  in  a  lodge  or  social  club.  In  one 
church  which  follows  this  system,  the  men 
pay  $i8  a  year  and  the  women  $12.  The 
children  are  not  expected  to  pay  anything. 
The  voluntary  principle  in  religion  is  so 
strong  that  this  system  fortunately  does  not 
obtain  in  many  churches. 

9.  Tithing.  Under  this  system  members 
are  expected  to  set  apart  one  tenth  of  their 
income  to  the  Lord's  work.  In  some 
churches  this  is  a  condition  of  membership. 
This  was  part  of  the  ancient  Jewish  system 
of  beneficence  and  is  strongly  urged  by 
many  as  the  ideal  system  for  Christians. 
While  it  has  the  sanction  of  Judaism  and 
when  adopted  usually  greatly  increases  the 
income  of  the  church,  there  are  some  who 
question  whether  it  is  Christian  in  spirit  or 

[53] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


is  productive  of  the  largest  results.  As  a 
voluntary  practise,  it  is  orderly,  helpful, 
and  to  be  commended. 

10.  The  Simplex  Plan.  Subscriptions 
are  taken,  payable  weekly  when  possible. 
The  money  when  received  is  divided  on  a 
percentage  basis  between  church  support 
and  beneficence  upon  a  schedule  adopted  by 
the  church  or  the  finance  committee.  The 
single  pocket  envelope  is  often  used  in  this 
connection.  This  plan  has  been  somewhat 
widely  adopted  in  recent  years,  but  is  open 
to  the  objection  that  it  removes  from  the 
individual  contributor  his  decision  as  to  the 
division  of  his  contributions.  It  also  in- 
vites a  misuse  of  missionary  money  for 
church  support. 

11.  The  Duplex  Plan.  Subscriptions, 
payable  weekly,  are  solicited  for  church 
support  and  missions.  A  bi-pocket  envelope 
or  two  envelopes  are  issued  for  weekly  pay- 
ments and  are  placed  in  the  hands  of  each 

[54] 


PREVALENT  METHODS 

contributor  at  the  beginning  of  the  year. 
This  is  often  a  most  effective  plan  and  has 
been  very  generally  adopted  in  many 
modern  churches.  The  committee  usually 
find,  however,  that  many  contributors  re- 
fuse to  subscribe  for  more  than  the  item 
of  church  expenses. 

12.  The  Spasm  Plan.  This  was  the 
system  very  widely  in  vogue  for  the  securing 
of  missionary  offerings.  A  cause  is  pre- 
sented in  a  more  or  less  effective  way  and 
an  offering  is  taken  immediately  following 
the  presentation.  The  best  presentation, 
whether  it  is  for  the  most  worthy  cause  or 
not,  naturally  receives  the  largest  contribu- 
tion. The  success  of  this  plan  is  dependent 
upon  the  presence  of  a  large  congregation 
on  a  Sunday  and  presentation  by  an  effective 
speaker.  While  large  sums  are  often  se- 
cured under  this  method,  the  causes  which 
are  presented  under  unfavorable  conditions, 
though  often  most  worthy  of  generous  sup- 

[55] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


port,  receive  but  little  attention.  Fortu- 
nately for  the  interests  of  the  kingdom  of 
God  this  plan,  once  very  widely  prevalent, 
is  rapidly  passing  out  of  existence. 

13.  Church  Suppers,  Fairs,  and  Enter- 
tainments. Said  a  man  in  my  hearing  to  a 
local  minister,  ^'Your  church  must  be  dead; 
you  do  not  seem  to  have  any  suppers  or 
fairs."  Many  a  man  comes  from  a  church 
supper  with  the  idea  that  he  has  given  the 
church  a  quarter.  Most  likely  he  has 
robbed  the  church  by  eating  what  would 
have  cost  him  at  home  or  in  a  restaurant 
half  a  dollar.  This  method,  very  widely 
in  vogue  throughout  the  whole  country,  is 
wasteful  of  resources,  wrong  in  conception, 
a  palliative  that  leaves  in  its  wake  many 
hurts  and  ills.  The  time  must  soon  come 
when  it  will  be  a  disgrace  for  any  church 
to  report  money  secured  in  this  way.  Raffles 
and  grab-bags  are  sometimes  found  in 
church  fairs.  The  church  certainly  has  no 
[56] 


PREVALENT  METHODS 

right  to  use  its  plant  for  such  illegal  affairs ; 
and  practises  closely  resembling  gambling 
where  an  element  of  chance  enters  in  are 
not  infrequently  found  at  church  fairs. 
This  system  is  open  to  many  objections. 
The  church  is  likely  to  forget  that  the 
theater,  the  restaurant,  and  all  commercial 
houses  must  pay  taxes  for  the  privilege  of 
doing  business,  while  the  church  is  gener- 
ally exempt.  It  is  therefore  manifestly  un- 
fair and  unjust  to  compete  with  those  who 
are  engaged  in  a  regular  line  of  business. 
Men  in  commercial  circles  submit  to  it,  but 
in  their  heart  of  hearts  they  despise  that 
phase  of  church  activity.  Not  long  ago  I 
was  in  a  large  church  in  a  great  city,  and 
at  the  close  of  the  morning  service  young 
people  energetically  sold  candy  among  the 
congregation.  These  things  are  sometimes 
done  by  churches  in  outside  buildings,  but 
it  is  the  church  that  seeks  patronage,  and  it 
is  using  unpaid  labor  to  compete  with  paid 

[57] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


help  and  is  taking  an  illegal  advantage  of 
doing  business  without  paying  the  tax 
which  is  imposed  upon  all  others  in  that 
line  of  activity. 

A  strong  plea  is  made  on  behalf  of 
woman,  whose  sole  chance  to  help  in  the 
work  of  the  church  is  in  the  use  she  can 
make  of  flour,  butter,  eggs,  and  sugar.  Her 
husband  often  will  not  permit  her  to  give 
money  to  the  church.  If  she  is  to  use  those 
articles  and  her  skill  as  a  cook,  why  should 
she  not  make  her  cake  and  as  an  individual 
sell  it  to  a  neighbor?  The  money  that  then 
comes  to  her  is  hers,  to  do  with  as  she  will, 
and  she  can  then  give  it  to  God  as  a  free 
will  offering. 

All  these  methods,  none  of  them  sufficient 
nor  satisfactory,  and  some  of  them  positively 
wrong,  are  in  use  to-day.  Is  there  no  better 
method  of  finance  for  the  Church  of  Christ? 
With  these  unsatisfactory  methods  it  is  not 
strange  that  less  than  fifty  per  cent,  of  the 

[58] 


PREVALENT  METHODS 

members  of  our  churches  are  supporting  the 
local  church. 

Here  are  some  samples  of  non-supporters. 

I.  The  non-resident  members.  Their 
numbers  are  legion  in  all  our  Protestant 
churches.  Nearly  twenty  per  cent,  of  our 
members  belong  to  this  class.  They  are  one 
of  the  greatest  sources  of  weakness  in  our 
churches.  They  have  small  share  in  the 
work  of  the  Kingdom,  and  they  give  little 
to  the  Church  of  Christ.  Not  long  ago,  at 
the  close  of  a  service  in  a  prominent  church, 
a  woman  stepped  up  to  the  minister  and 
said,  ^T  want  to  say  good-by.  You  know  I 
am  going  to  move  to  — ,"  and  mentioned  a 
city  where  there  are  a  number  of  churches 
of  the  same  communion.  The  pastor  ex- 
pressed his  regret  and  then  added,  ''But  you 
will  leave  your  membership  here  with  us, 
won't  you?  You  know  we  need  all  the  help 
you  can  give  us."  Such  a  plea  debases  a 
high  calling.  He  should  have  urged  her 
[59] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


for  her  own  sake,  for  the  sake  of  her  church, 
and  for  the  sake  of  the  church  where  she 
was  going,  to  remove  her  membership  at 
once.  Our  ministers  as  well  as  our  lay 
members  need  to  think  on  these  things. 

A  man  was  asked  by  the  pastor  of  the 
church  where  he  was  living  if  he  would  not 
join  them,  adding,  ^'I  hear  that  your  mem- 
bership is  still  in  the  church  you  came  from 
when  you  moved  here."  ''No,"  said  the 
man,  "I  cannot  join  your  church  because 
the  little  one  I  belong  to  needs  all  the  help 
I  can  give."  Nor  could  he  be  persuaded  to 
change  his  mind.  Some  weeks  later  the 
minister  was  passing  the  man's  place  of 
business  and  was  called  in.  At  once  the 
man  began  to  say,  ''Well,  Fm  mad  clear 
through.  Do  you  know  that  little  church 
I  belong  to  has  written  me  and  demanded 
that  I  send  a  contribution  of  at  least  ten 
dollars.  What  do  you  think  of  that?  Why, 
I  might  just  as  well  belong  to  your  church." 
[6ol 


PREVALENT  METHODS 

2.  The  man  who  says,  ^T  support  the 
church  whenever  I  attend  service.  I  always 
drop  something  in  the  plate."  One  such 
was  asked,  'What  do  you  mean  by  sup- 
port?" ^'Oh,"  he  said,  "I  drop  in  a  dime  or 
a  quarter."  In  general  the  loose  collections 
of  a  church  will  foot  up  less  than  ten  per 
cent,  of  the  total  money  contributed  for  local 
expenses.  The  church  can  count  but  little 
upon  such  resources  though  they  represent 
the  giving  of  dozens  and  often  hundreds 
of  people.     It  is  small  giving. 

3.  The  man  who  excuses  himself  from 
giving  on  the  ground  that  he  is  in  debt.  In 
debt  for  what — a  home,  a  doctor,  land, 
stocks,  or  his  business?  He  forgets  his  debt 
to  God  and  takes  the  Lord's  portion  to  buy 
himself  worldly  easement  from  debt.  As 
soon  as  this  debt  is  paid,  he  will  have  an- 
other. Of  course,  as  a  creditor,  God  does 
not  seem  to  be  a  good  collector  to-day.  God 
should  be  reckoned  as  our  first  preferred 

[61] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


creditor,  then  there  would  be  fewer  debts 
to  others. 

4.  The  man  who  gives  once  a  year.  "It 
is  too  much  bother  to  get  the  change  every 
week."  Has  he  ever  thought  that  to  feed 
his  body,  he  plans  and  partakes  of  three 
meals  every  day?  Why  does  he  not  eat  just 
once  a  year,  and  what  would  he  do  if  the 
digestive  function  worked  only  once  a  year? 
Such  giving  is  not  like  a  normal  function. 
While  his  annual  gift  may  be  as  large  as  a 
series  of  regular  weekly  gifts,  though  it  is 
not  likely  to  be,  he  robs  himself  almost 
entirely  of  the  blessing  of  giving. 

5.  The  man  who  declines  to  use  an  en- 
velope because  he  does  not  want  any  one 
to  know  what  he  gives.  His  gift  is  probably 
such  that  he  is  ashamed  to  have  it  known. 
His  principle  is,  let  not  your  left  hand  know 
what  your  right  hand  doesnt  do. 

6.  The  man  who  says:  "I  do  not  believe 
in  pushing  financial  matters  in  a  church. 

[62  1 


PREVALENT  METHODS 

Let  them  develop  normally.  Let  people 
do  as  they  like,  and  they  will  do  all  right." 
Under  such  circumstances  it  is  a  well  sub- 
stantiated fact  that  about  half  will  do  noth- 
ing at  all  in  any  regular  way  to  support 
the  Church.  Giving  is  a  vital  function.  It 
must  be  produced  and  then  developed  after 
production. 

7.  The  pastor  who  declines  to  give  to- 
ward his  own  salary.  I  constantly  meet 
pastors  who  object  to  participating  in 
Church  support.  The  pastor  should  assume 
the  same  responsibilities  as  a  member.  His 
gift  is  not  for  salary  but  for  support  of  the 
divine  worship  of  the  Church  of  which  he 
is  a  member.  No  pastor  can  lead  his  people 
to  do  what  he  is  not  doing  himself. 

8.  Finally,  we  have  the  irregular  giver. 
He  gives  for  weeks,  and  then  stops  for  a 
month,  or  he  gives  for  a  quarter,  then  does 
nothing  more  for  a  year,  and  excuses  himself 
by  telling  what  he  has  been  doing.    Suppose 

[63] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


the  heart  acted  as  irregularly  as  the  giving 
function.    Death  would  quickly  ensue. 

Every  church  has  an  official  board,  trus- 
tees, or  finance  committee.  In  the  ordinary 
church  these  men  seldom  inform  the  mem- 
bers what  the  funds  they  request  are  needed 
for,  and  an  annual  report  is  all  that  is  made 
concerning  the  use  of  the  money  received. 
Very  many  churches  have  no  auditing  com- 
mittee, as  it  is  thought  to  be  a  reflection 
upon  the  honesty  of  the  treasurer. 

Many  treasurers  are  a  law  unto  them- 
selves. In  some  cases  this  seriously  affects 
the  minister.  If  the  minister  is  not  in  favor 
with  the  treasurer,  he  is  paid  only  when  all 
other  bills  have  been  settled,  and  if  there  is 
not  money  enough  to  settle  all  accounts,  the 
minister  has  to  wait  for  his  salary.  In  other 
cases  he  is  counted  as  a  preferred  creditor. 
Many  a  church  has  lost  its  power  in  a  com- 
munity because  the  minister  was  chronically 
in  debt,  and  the  fault  lay  with  the  church 
[64] 


PREVALENT  METHODS 

because  the  salary  was  in  arrears  all  the 
time.  The  credit  of  the  church  rests  upon 
the  minister.  He  should  be  paid  first,  fully, 
and  regularly. 

Recently  I  visited  a  church  where  the 
treasurer  had  not  attended  a  service  in 
three  years.  Why  should  a  church  dishonor 
itself  by  following  such  a  policy?  At  an- 
other place  I  saw  a  check  drawn  in  pay- 
ment of  a  church  account,  but  it  was  the 
check  of  a  business  firm  in  which  the  treas- 
urer was  a  partner.  He  paid  all  church 
bills  with  similar  checks.  Many  hundreds 
of  dollars  went  into  that  bank  account  from 
missionary  collections  that  were  constantly 
coming  in  during  the  year,  but  were  never 
paid  out  till  the  last  day  of  the  fiscal  year. 
In  the  meantime  the  missionary  societies 
were  paying  interest  on  borrowed  funds  and 
the  treasurer's  firm  was  discounting  bills 
by  use  of  money  that  belonged  to  the  King- 
dom.   Why  did  not  the  church  get  another 

[65] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


treasurer?  "It  would  make  a  split  in  the 
membership,"  was  the  answer,  when  I 
asked  that  question.  This  occurred  not  in 
some  out-of-the-way  place,  but  in  a  large 

city. 

Many  church  treasurers  take  all  moneys 
coming  in,  no  matter  for  what  purpose,  and 
put  them  together  in  one  bank  account. 
They  pay  all  church  expense  bills  regard- 
less of  whether  or  not  enough  money  has 
come  in  on  that  account.  Other  accounts 
run  short.  Then  it  comes  time  to  pay  one 
of  them  and  there  is  not  enough  money  in 
hand.  Sometimes  the  deficit  is  raised,  some- 
times it  is  not,  but  is  covered  up.  A  treasurer 
recently  told  me  that  the  missionary  money 
was  all  in,  so  I  suggested  he  should  send  it 
on  to  the  missionary  societies  at  once.  Then 
he  added,  ''Well,  I  mean  it  has  all  come  in, 
but  just  now  it  is  loaned  to  one  of  the  local 
societies.'' 

In  a  large  city  church  a  number  of  special 
[66] 


PREVALENT  METHODS 

offerings  had  been  made  for  a  definite  pur- 
pose outside  its  local  activities.  Some  of 
the  subscribers  were  greatly  surprised  to 
receive  word  from  the  treasurer  that  he  did 
not  want  the  money,  as  '^this  church  has 
given  too  much  already.'^  No  church 
should  tolerate  such  a  treasurer  for  a  day. 
Another  treasurer  reported  with  great  pride 
that  his  church  had  paid  its  missionary  ap- 
portionment in  full,  and  had  kept  back  $112 
which  had  also  come  in  for  missions,  "in 
order  to  have  a  good  start  on  the  next  year's 
budget."  The  apportionment  plan  was  a 
help  to  begin  with,  but  in  the  cases  referred 
to  it  has  certainly  lost  its  dynamic  and 
objective. 

Usually  a  church  has  but  one  treasurer. 
He  handles  all  the  money  in  his  own 
way.  He  generally  empties  the  collection 
into  a  money  sack  or  his  pockets,  takes  it 
home  and  counts  it  at  his  convenience,  with- 
out any  one  to  check  his  figures  and  vouch 

[67] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


for  the  correctness  of  his  count.  We  are 
all  human  and  liable  to  err.  The  church 
has  scattered  around  her  outer  walls  many 
former  contributors  who  were  miffed  when 
they  claimed  a  mistake  had  been  made  in 
their  account  and  it  was  their  word  against 
that  of  the  treasurer.  They  believed  their 
own  account  and  the  official  was  equally 
sure  that  he  was  right.  I  heard  not  long 
ago  of  a  church  collection  which  a  baby 
found  in  the  house  and  which  her  father 
had  not  counted  and  checked  up.  It  made 
a  splendid  plaything  for  her. 

It  is  strange  that  business  men  are  so 
loath  to  put  into  operation  in  the  church 
the  modern  methods  which  they  have  found 
so  efficient  in  their  business.  In  a  certain 
church  the  president  of  the  official  board  is 
also  the  treasurer.  He  is  general  manager 
and  part  owner  of  a  flourishing  store,  in 
which  he  has  installed  all  sorts  of  up-to-date 
appliances,  such  as  cash  registers,  loose-leaf 
[68  1 


PREVALENT  METHODS 

ledgers,  a  splendid  follow-up  system.  All 
employees  handling  money  are  under  bond 
and  the  efficiency  of  the  establishment  is 
excellent.  Yet,  as  church  treasurer,  he  is 
fifty  years  behind  the  times.  He  fights  the 
introduction  of  up-to-date  methods  in 
church  finances.  No  one  has  looked  into 
his  treasurer's  books  in  twenty  years,  and 
they  have  never  been  audited.  A  delinquent 
subscriber  is  never  followed  up  systematic- 
ally. In  fact,  it  is  doubtful  if  he  can  tell 
who  is  delinquent.  Member  after  member 
has  quarreled  with  him  as  to  his  church 
account,  and  then,  angered,  has  left  the 
Church.  Is  this  an  isolated  case?  Would 
that  it  were,  but  nowhere  in  America  will 
you  find  so  much  of  archaic,  inefficient 
machinery  as  in  the  Church.  In  many  cases 
it  is  so  because  some  up-to-date  business 
man  insists  upon  doing  things  in  the  dear 
old  way  in  the  Church.  Why  should  there 
be  an  up-to-date,  efficient  method  in  one 

[69] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


place,  and  an  old,  inefficient  method  for 
doing  the  same  thing  in  another  place, 
when  the  same  men  are  handling  both 
operations? 

A  treasurer  remarked  recently  that  his 
church  was  in  fine  shape,  and  had  all  the 
money  they  needed;  that  they  did  not  owe 
a  cent  to  any  one,  and  that  they  always  had 
money  in  the  treasury.  Yet,  according  to 
the  records,  only  twenty-six  per  cent,  of  the 
membership  were  giving  at  all.  The  pastor 
was  sadly  underpaid,  the  property  was  run 
down,  and  the  whole  enterprise  had  a  neg- 
lected air.  To  be  out  of  debt,  or  in  debt, 
does  not  of  itself  reveal  the  actual  condi- 
tions. Only  when  the  real  needs  of  the  local 
organization  and  the  world  have  been 
summed  up,  and  alongside  of  those  needs 
has  been  placed  the  adequate  response  of 
every  member,  can  it  be  said  that  the  church 
is  doing  its  task  properly  and  is  in  fine 
shape. 

[70] 


PREVALENT  METHODS 

We  have  many  treasurers  who  are  doing 
up-to-date,  efficient  work  for  the  church 
and  the  Kingdom,  Often  they  do  their 
work  under  serious  difficulties  and  genuine 
opposition  and  they  deserve  hearty  and 
generous  recognition  for  their  frequently 
thankless  task,  hut,  sad  to  say,  we  have  many 
others  who  have  no  realization  of  what  it 
means  to  help  the  church  and  the  world 
enterprise  by  efficient,  modern  methods. 

In  many  churches  about  a  dozen  people 
are  giving  most  of  the  money  and  frequently 
not  more  than  half  the  membership  do  any- 
thing to  support  the  church.  No  other  or- 
ganization could  long  survive  a  failure  on 
the  part  of  so  many  members  to  do  their 
share  in  its  support.  The  Church  is  a  divine 
institution.  The  covenant,  the  discipline,  or 
the  articles  of  faith  obligate  every  member 
to  contribute  regularly.  If  only  half  do  so, 
and  the  Church  makes  no  real  effort  of  a 
sustained  sort  to  secure  compliance  from 

[71] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


the  others,  the  Church  has  thereby  per- 
mitted a  moral  weakness  to  permeate  its 
life. 

At  a  recent  Church  conference  the  ques- 
tion of  unpaid  pledges  came  up,  and  an 
officer  said  that  in  their  membership  they 
had  a  number  who  always  made  pledges 
but  never  made  even  a  pretense  of  paying 
them.  So  year  after  year  the  official  board 
made  a  motion  to  cancel  their  indebtedness, 
thereby  condoning  the  fault.  Sugh  a  prac- 
tise on  the  part  of  an  individual  is  plain 
dishonesty,  and  the  church  which  permits 
it  is  failing  to  register  its  disapproval  of 
the  wrong. 

There  is  usually  an  insistent  demand  for 
secrecy  in  all  that  pertains  to  the  individual 
subscriptions  of  members.  Any  pastor  who 
has  never  seen  the  list  of  subscribers  and 
subscriptions  has  much  to  learn.  It  is  a  very 
revealing  list.  Some  wonderful  nobility  in 
sacrificial  giving  is  always  discovered,  and 

[72] 


PREVALENT  METHODS 

then  some  mean,  despicable  withholding 
comes  to  light.  Many  a  member's  leanness 
of  soul  is  explained  by  that  subscription  list. 
If  you  are  in  ill  health  and  go  to  a  doctor 
and  hide  the  symptoms,  it  is  extremely 
difficult  for  him  to  give  you  the  right 
help.  Time  is  lost  until  some  other  things 
indicate  the  symptoms  you  hid  from  the 
physician.  In  the  cure  of  souls,  God's 
under-shepherd  cannot  render  the  necessary 
help  if  the  symptoms  are  hidden  from  his 
eyes.  We  should  have  as  little  secrecy  as 
possible  and  w^ise  publicity  does  not  hurt. 
If  some  are  offended,  it  is  generally  their 
pride  that  is  hurt,  and  pride  of  that  sort  is 
sin.  It  was  our  Lord  himself  who  saw  the 
widow's  gift  and  made  it  immortal. 

There  are  many  churches  where  the  pas- 
tor has  laid  upon  him  the  whole  financial 
burden,  even  to  canvassing  for  the  money. 
In  other  and  more  numerous  cases  the 
minister  is  warned  not  to  touch  the  financial 

[73] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


side  of  the  church.  He  is  often  told  that  if 
he  pushes  finances,  people  will  think  he  is 
after  his  own  salary.  In  some  churches  he 
needs  to  be  after  his  salary,  or  he  does  not 
get  it  until  long  overdue.  How  much  of 
failure  and  inefficiency  in  the  church  is  due 
to  an  underpaid  or  improperly  paid  minis- 
try, thereby  rendered  inefficient?  This  is 
a  serious  question,  and  one  that  merits 
investigation. 

There  are  some  men  who  insist  upon  giv- 
ing for  their  whole  family  in  one  pledge. 
They  frequently  pay  it  by  check,  three  or 
four  times  during  the  year,  sometimes  not 
at  regular  intervals  even,  but  only  when 
personally  solicited  to  do  so.  Asked  to 
break  it  up  into  several  parts,  one  for  each 
member  of  the  family,  they  decline  on  the 
ground  that  it  is  too  much  trouble.  Such 
a  pledge  is  unscriptural,  for  the  apostle 
said,  speaking  to  all  the  members,  "Let  each 
one  of  you  lay  by  him  in  store."    No  man 

[74] 


PREVALENT  METHODS 

can  give  for  his  wife  or  children  any  more 
than  he  can  breathe  for  them  or  be  saved 
for  them.  He  robs  them  of  a  distinct  privi- 
lege and  blessing  when  he  fails  to  provide 
this  opportunity  for  them. 

Another  says  that  his  father  always  did 
his  giving  in  a  certain  way,  that  the  way 
was  good  enough  for  his  father,  and  what 
was  good  enough  for  the  father  is  good 
enough  for  him.  A  man  made  that  remark 
to  me  some  time  ago,  and  repeating  his  re- 
mark I  asked  him  if  he  meant  it.  He  said 
he  did.  Then  I  asked  him  if  he  was  honest 
in  his  statement  and  he  said  he  was.  But  I 
kept  on  by  adding,  "If  you  are  honest  in  it 
you  will  of  course  give  away  your  auto,  for 
you  have  no  use  for  it.  What  was  good 
enough  for  your  father  is  good  enough  for 
you,  and  there  were  no  autos  in  your 
father's  day."  I  did  not  get  the  auto,  but 
the  man  saw  the  point. 

Many  men  insist  that  they  do  not  believe 

[75] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


in  pledging  and  have  never  made  a  pledge 
in  their  lives.  They  mean  to  the  church 
support,  of  course,  for  in  every  other  phase 
of  life,  material  and  spiritual,  a  pledge 
underlies  everything.  Their  salvation  came 
with  their  pledges  to  God.  They  got  their 
wives  by  pledges.  All  human  and  divine 
relations  are  intermingled  with  pledges. 
All  business  is  done  on  pledges.  All  such 
claims  are  excuses  made  to  cover  covetous- 
ness  or  ignorance  of  God's  will. 

An  elderly  deacon  in  very  comfortable 
circumstances  arose  in  a  conference  on 
church  methods  and  ranted  about  what  a 
good  Christian  he  was.  He  affirmed  and 
reaffirmed  what  he  believed,  but  in  it  all 
he  made  no  mention  of  giving  or  missions. 
When  the  missionary  session  began,  and 
stewardship  was  presented,  he  arose  again 
and  stalking  out  of  the  meeting  said  audibly, 
"I  don't  believe  in  no  such  stuff;  it's  more 
of  those  modern  fads."  His  church  record 
[76] 


PREVALENT  METHODS 

was  looked  up,  and  it  was  found  that  he 
had  been  a  member  many  years,  but  in  all 
that  time  no  one  remembered  that  he  had 
ever  laid  a  gift  on  God's  altar,  and  on  the 
books  of  the  church  was  no  record  of  any 
money  paid  in  by  him.  Can  it  be  possible 
that  such  a  man  really  knows  "the  unspeak- 
able Gift"? 

Present  conditions  are  not  satisfactory. 
There  is  too  much  confusion  in  plans.  We 
have  skirmish  after  skirmish,  but  no  great 
siege.  Standards  of  Church  life  and  action 
are  sadly  low.  We  have  not  had  a  militant, 
productive,  heroic  Church.  In  the  last  five 
years,  if  personal  gifts  are  deducted,  not 
many  communions  have  materially  in- 
creased their  giving  for  missions.  There 
should  be  a  marked,  steady  advance  in  gifts 
from  the  membership  of  the  churches. 

Heretofore  we  have  not  realized  the  con- 
ditions that  existed.  Now  we  are  beginning 
to  realize  them  and  attempting  to  cure  the 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


ills.  Shall  we  not  go  on  attacking  our  in- 
efficiency till  we  are  efficient?  It  is  one 
thing  to  know  and  another  thing  to  do.  We 
must  both  know  and  do. 


[78] 


VII 

PROPER    METHODS    OF    CHURCH 
FINANCE 

WE  have  now  set  forth  the  place  and 
the  importance  of  giving  in  the 
normal  Christian  life.  We  have  also  out- 
lined some  of  the  unfortunate  methods 
which  have  crept  into  our  Church  efforts  to 
deal  with  this  problem  and  the  results.  It 
now  remains  to  outline  some  better  and 
more  successful  methods.  In  all  our  plans 
of  Church  finance  we  must  keep  in  mind 
two  fundamental  purposes,  namely :  the  de- 
velopment of  the  spirit  of  Christlike  giving 
in  all  our  members  and  the  acquisition  of 
the  largest  contributions  possible,  that  we 
may  the  more  rapidly  spread  the  Kingdom 
abroad.  We  shall  make  but  slow  progress 
in  the  increase  of  our  giving  unless  we  de- 
vote our  first  attention  to  the  proper  spirit 
[79] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


within  our  members.  The  Christian  Church 
cannot  afford  to  neglect  any  opportunity 
for  the  development  of  this  spirit  within 
its  entire  membership.  Short-cut  methods 
to  secure  large  offerings  will  inevitably  be 
accompanied  by  a  reaction  which  will  be 
disastrous  to  the  Church  and  members  alike. 
The  Christian  Church  should  lay  out  a 
program  whose  ideals  run  far  into  the 
future  and  work  steadily  toward  the  incul- 
cation within  its  entire  membership  of  the 
true  spirit  of  giving.  If  this  spirit  is  prop- 
erly cultivated,  we  shall  have  an  end  of  our 
difficulties  regarding  Church  finance. 

Coming  now  to  the  methods  and  plans 
which  should  be  adopted  in  the  local 
church,  I  shall  set  forth  a  concise,  ideal, 
and  yet  practical  program  of  methods  to 
which  every  church  can  and  should  address 
itself.  It  is  applicable  at  every  point  in 
every  church,  even  the  smallest.  The  adop- 
tion of  this  program  will  produce  gradually 

[80] 


PROPER  METHODS 


if  not  immediately  a  proper  and  successful 
method  of  securing  and  using  the  output 
of  its  complete  resources. 

1.  A  spiritual  vision  and  motive:  Every 

member  abiding  in  Christ. 

2.  Every  member  at  worship. 

3.  Every  member  a  giver  in  accordance 

with  I  Cor.  xvi.  2. 

4.  Every  member   bearing   his   share   in 

church  and  world-wide  work. 

5.  An  adequate  church  budget,  including 

both  church  expenses  and  missions. 

6.  A  steady  program  of  missionary  educa- 

tion throughout  the  year  with  a 
period  of  education  preceding  the 
annual  every  member  canvass. 

7.  Annual  canvass  of  all  members  of  the 

church  and  parish. 

8.  A  system  of  weekly  giving. 

9.  Two  treasuries  with  two  treasurers  and 

two  financial  secretaries. 

10.  All    incoming   moneys    handled    in    a 

businesslike  way,  counted  in  the  pres- 
ence of  others  besides  the  treasurers. 

11.  Quarterly  reports  to  the  church  and  to 

each  contributor. 

12.  A  proper  follow-up  system  to  secure 

the  payment  of  pledges  when  due. 

[81] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


13.  Monthly  or  at  least  quarterly  distribu- 

tion of  all  missionary  funds  in  hand. 

14.  An  annual  audit  and  report  in  fullest 

detail. 

15.  Constant  presentation  of  all  missionary 

activities  of  the  Church  with  oppor- 
tunity for  any  to  make  gifts.  No 
request  for  contributions,  however, 
to  follow  presentation,  unless,  after 
due  consideration,  the  church  spe- 
cifically issues  a  permit  for  a  special 
collection. 

16.  Christlike  determination  not  to  harbor 

dead  members  lest  they  injure  the 
whole  body. 

17.  Every  regular  attendant  and  giver  as- 

signed a  regular  seat  and  expected  to 
occupy  it. 

18.  A  record  of  the  attendance  of  all  mem- 

bers at  the  services  of  the  church. 

19.  Every  member  of  the  church  related  to 

others  in  the  body  in  some  definite 
spiritual  work. 

20.  Expressional  activities  provided  to  fol- 

low every  impression. 

Now  that  we  have  the  outline,  let  us 
proceed  to  discuss  and  amplify  it  where 
needed. 

[82] 


PROPER  METHODS 


If  a  church  is  to  work  out  a  financial 
program,  the  first  necessity  is  the  adoption 
of  an  annual  budget.  This  is  of  supreme 
importance.  Every  modern  business  house 
makes  out  each  year  in  advance  with  care 
and  minuteness  a  budget  that  shall  cover 
its  operations.  It  is  equally  essential  that 
such  a  budget  should  be  prepared  by  every 
church.  The  church  will  be  able,  there- 
fore, to  determine  in  advance  exactly  how 
much  money  must  be  raised  and  will  be 
able  to  set  before  its  contributors  the  exact 
situation  that  faces  them.  This  budget 
should  include  both  the  expenses  for  church 
maintenance  and  its  beneficence.  Many 
churches  have  adopted  a  budget  covering 
the  expense  account,  but  not  including  the 
beneficence.  It  will  be  a  long  step  in  ad- 
vance when  our  churches  come  to  realize 
that  their  share  of  the  expense  for  work 
outside  their  own  parish  is  equally  as  much 
of  an  obligation  as  that  within  their  own 

[83] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


community.  When  the  churches  come  to 
assume  this  attitude,  the  missionary  problem 
will  largely  be  solved.  The  so-called  mis- 
sionary societies  of  each  communion  are  not 
organizations  outside  the  church  which  are 
appealing  for  support,  but  organized  agen- 
cies of  the  churches  themselves.  They  do 
not  appeal  to  the  churches  as  outsiders,  but 
for  the  support  of  that  work  which  the 
churches  themselves  have  authorized. 

We  give  here  a  sample  budget  which 
may  be  adopted  in  almost  any  church. 

Church  Expense  Budget  Missionary  Budget 

Pastor's  salary  Foreign  Missions 
Janitor  Home  Missions 
Fuel  Women's  Foreign  Mis- 
Lighting  sions 
Building  repairs  Women's  Home  Missions 
Pulpit  supplies  State  Missions 
Bible  School  Publication  Board 
Young  People's  Society     Aged  Ministers'  Fund 
Women's  Societies  Christian  education 
Men's  Brotherhood  Reserve  fund 
Contingent  Fund 

[84] 


PROPER  METHODS 


Large  churches  might  add  to  the  above 

items  the  following: 

Church  missionary  City  missions 

Advertising  National  Organization 

Music  expense 

Printing  Anti-Saloon  League 

Taxes 
Telephones 

Foreign-speaking  work 
Fellowship  fund 

It  is  not  possible  to  suggest  what  relation 
these  two  parts  of  the  budget  should  have 
toward  each  other.  There  are  some 
churches  where  the  budget  for  church  ex- 
penses must  be  considerably  larger  than  that 
of  the  missionary  budget.  On  the  other 
hand,  many  churches  are  coming  to  recog- 
nize that  their  ideal  ought  to  be  to  raise  for 
work  outside  the  parish  an  amount  that  is 
equal  to  that  which  is  spent  upon  their  own 
church.  Our  American  churches  ought 
speedily  to  set  before  themselves  as  an  ideal 
an  equal  amount  for  beneficence  and  for 

[85] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


church  expenses.  Some  of  our  best  churches 
are  already  contributing  much  more  for 
the  work  beyond  their  parish  than  within 
its  limits. 

It  should  be  noted  that  the  budget  which 
we  have  suggested  unifies  the  entire  giving 
of  the  church.  For  example,  the  expense 
of  the  Sunday-school,  the  Young  People's 
Society  and  the  Women's  Societies  is  in- 
cluded within  the  amount  which  is  to  be 
raised  for  church  expenses.  In  making  a 
pledge  to  such  a  budget,  therefore,  each 
giver  is  contributing  to  the  running  expenses 
of  all  the  activities  of  the  parish.  Without 
question,  this  is  as  it  should  be  in  every 
parish.  The  customary  method  of  permit- 
ting each  organization  to  finance  its  own 
expenses  is  largely  responsible  for  the  chaos 
which  exists  in  church  finance.  There  is 
no  reason  why  all  the  members  of  the 
church  should  not  share  the  expense  of  the 
Bible  school,  nor  why  the  men  of  the  parish 
[86] 


PROPER  METHODS 


should  not  support  the  work  which  the 
women  are  seeking  to  do  in  the  name  of  the 
whole  church. 

The  second  essential  step  in  the  reorgan- 
ization of  Church  finance  is  the  adoption  of 
an  Every  Member  Canvass  in  the  church 
and  parish.  This  is  so  essential  to  a  suc- 
cessful financial  plan  that  no  church,  under 
any  conditions,  can  afford  to  neglect  it. 
There  is  no  successful  substitute.  Many 
churches  have  refused  to  put  this  canvass 
into  operation  on  the  theory  that  they  had 
plans  which  were  just  as  good.  But  the 
method  has  now  been  tested  out  sufficiently 
in  all  kinds  of  churches,  under  all  possible 
conditions,  so  that  there  need  be  no  hesi- 
tancy in  saying  that  no  church  has  an  ideal 
financial  plan  unless  it  puts  into  practise 
each  year  the  Every  Member  Canvass. 

Sufficient  publications  have  been  issued, 
outlining  the  plans  for  this  canvass  so  that 
we  do  not  need  to  go  into  detailed  explana- 

[87] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


tion  here.  A  few  suggestions  will  be  suffi- 
cient. The  canvass  should  include  all  mem- 
bers of  the  parish.  Every  man,  woman, 
and  child  should  be  urged  to  make  his 
pledge  for  the  expenses  of  the  Kingdom. 
When  the  canvass  is  made,  no  member  of 
the  parish  should  be  omitted  because  of 
previous  failure  to  give  or  because  of  failure 
to  attend  the  services  of  the  church  regu- 
larly. The  visit  of  the  canvassers  may  be 
the  one  means  necessary  to  put  such  mem- 
bers into  active  touch  with  the  church. 
Many  have  been  induced  to  become  regular 
attendants  through  the  visitation  of  the  can- 
vassers and  the  opportunity  given  for  sup- 
port of  the  local  church. 

There  are  none  so  poor  as  to  be  over- 
looked. If  there  are  any  members  of  the 
church  who  are  too  poor  to  make  a  contri- 
bution for  the  support  of  the  organizations, 
they  are  poor  enough  to  receive  the  financial 
ministry  of  the  church  itself.  If  in  the 
[88] 


PROPER  METHODS 


Every  Member  Canvass  families  are  dis- 
covered who  are  too  poor  to  make  an  offer- 
ing, the  deacons  of  the  church  should  imme- 
diately take  up  the  question  of  rendering 
assistance  to  these  families  until  they  are  in 
a  sufficiently  independent  position  to  be- 
come fellov^  contributors.  It  is  also  ex- 
ceedingly important  that  the  children 
should  be  reached.  The  simile  of  the  bent 
twig  is  particularly  adaptable  to  the  train- 
ing of  children  in  this  matter.  One  reason 
why  we  have  been  having  so  much  difficulty 
in  the  past  few  years  is  that  for  several 
decades  the  children  in  our  churches  have 
not  been  taught  to  give  to  the  worship  of 
God,  but  have  been  led  to  suppose  that  they 
were  fulfilling  their  duty  by  giving  a  penny 
to  the  Sunday-school.  The  penny  contri- 
bution in  our  Sunday-schools  is  one  of  the 
fearful  curses  in  our  modern  churches.  It 
inculcates  in  the  children  habits  which  it 
is  almost  impossible  to  break. 

[89] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


In  connection  with  the  Every  Member 
Canvass  it  is  important  to  see  that  every 
new  member  upon  reception  is  instructed 
in  the  plan  of  the  church.  Immediately 
upon  accession,  every  new  member  should 
be  confronted  with  his  obligation  to  join 
with  the  others  in  the  support  of  the  church. 
His  pledge  should  be  taken  and  the  en- 
velopes placed  in  his  hands.  If  this  co- 
operation is  not  secured  previous  to  the  day 
of  his  reception,  it  should  not  be  postponed 
beyond  the  day  of  his  first  communion. 
New  members  should  be  started  right  at  the 
beginning,  and  there  will  be  no  danger  of 
the  development  of  sensitiveness. 

One  of  our  serious  problems  relates  to 
that  of  the  large  giver.  A  person  of  large 
means  should  not  provide  more  than  a 
normal  proportionate  share  for  local  ex- 
penses or  for  missions  through  the  regular 
church  channels.  If  any  one  member  gives 
beyond  his  proportion,  he  acquires  an  in- 

[90] 


PROPER  METHODS 


fluence  which  is  likely  to  work  harm  within 
the  membership  of  the  church.  But  what 
is  even  more  serious,  he  unconsciously  re- 
lieves many  others  of  doing  their  full  duty. 
Many  church-members  hide  behind  the 
large  gifts  of  their  fellow  members  and 
make  them  an  excuse  for  making  small  con- 
tributions themselves.  This  does  not  mean 
that  we  are  to  decline  the  large  gifts  of 
wealthy  people.  In  fact,  such  persons  should 
be  cultivated  for  the  purpose  of  securing 
even  larger  contributions.  But  these  should 
be  made,  not  through  the  treasuries  of  the 
local  church,  but  by  direct  remittance  to  the 
missionary  organizations  of  the  denomina- 
tion. In  many  of  our  churches  there  is  an  op- 
portunity for  the  development  of  large  per- 
sonal giving,  and  if  these  gifts  are  made  in 
such  a  way  that  their  church  is  not  pauper- 
ized, they  themselves  will  be  greatly  blessed 
and  our  missionary  work  will  be  strength- 
ened.   All  our  churches  must  in  the  near 

[91] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


future  enter  upon  a  wide  effort  to  secure 
much  larger  giving  upon  the  part  of  those 
whose  wealth  would  enable  them  to  make 
generous  contributions  to  the  Kingdom's 
efforts. 

Each  church  should  adopt  the  duplex 
envelope  system  of  weekly  giving.  There 
are  several  devices  on  the  market  for  this 
purpose.  The  first  consists  of  an  envelope 
made  with  two  separate  pockets,  perforated 
in  such  a  way  that  they  may  be  easily 
severed.  This  has  been  found  very  con- 
venient by  many  churches.  Others,  how- 
ever, prefer  to  use  two  small  separate 
envelopes  of  different  color,  which  are  per- 
haps equally  as  convenient  for  both  the  con- 
tributors and  for  the  treasurers.  At  the 
close  of  the  morning  service,  these  envel- 
opes should  be  separated  and  taken  in 
charge  by  the  treasurers  of  the  separate 
funds  which  they  represent.  In  case  of 
children  who  are  attending  Sunday-school 

[92] 


PROPER  METHODS 


and  not  the  church  service,  the  envelopes 
may  be  placed  in  the  regular  Sunday- 
school  offering.  But  the  opportunity  of 
making  their  own  contribution  at  the  church 
service  may  be  an  inducement  for  many 
children  to  become  regular  church  attend- 
ants. These  envelopes  should  be  placed 
in  the  hands  of  each  contributor  well  in 
advance  of  the  beginning  of  the  new  finan- 
cial year.  Nothing  is  more  unbusinesslike 
than  to  stack  the  separate  bunches  of  en- 
velopes at  the  rear  of  the  church,  to  be 
taken  by  such  persons  as  may  possibly  be 
present  at  any  service.  The  business  firm 
that  left  its  monthly  statements  to  be  taken 
by  such  patrons  as  happened  to  drop  in, 
would  scarcely  be  able  to  maintain  its 
credit  with  the  bank  for  any  length  of  time. 
Many  strong  churches,  whose  finances  are 
in  the  hands  of  leading  business  men,  have 
followed  this  senseless  plan  for  years. 
The  duplex  or  double  envelope  is  some- 

[93] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


times  objected  to  by  members  of  the  finance 
committee  on  the  ground  that  its  adoption 
will  lessen  the  funds  for  local  support.  Of 
course,  the  man  who  occupies  this  position 
reveals  the  fact  that  he  has  no  real  concep- 
tion of  the  purpose  of  a  Christian  church. 
But  very  wide  experience  has  demonstrated 
that  the  double  envelope  has  greatly  assisted 
local  support  rather  than  injured  it.  The 
double  envelope  is  equally  advantageous  in 
a  large  city  church  or  in  a  small  country 
parish  where  there  are  services  only  two  or 
three  times  a  month. 

We  have  already  suggested  the  impor- 
tance of  two  treasuries  with  separate 
treasurers  and  financial  secretaries.  Many 
churches  would  have  saved  themselves  and 
their  treasurers  from  temptation  and  wrong- 
doing if  they  had  adopted  this  system. 
Under  the  double  system  there  would  be 
no  temptation  for  the  treasurer  of  the 
church  expense  fund  to  draw  upon  money 

[94] 


PROPER  METHODS 


which  has  been  contributed  for  missionary 
work  or  to  make  up  deficits  in  his  own 
accounts.  This  has  not  infrequently  hap- 
pened in  some  good  churches,  and  we  need 
to  guard  our  officials  against  any  possibility 
of  further  participation  in  this  crime.  It  is 
nothing  more  or  less  than  misappropriation 
of  funds. 

More  care  should  also  be  exercised  in 
the  accounting  of  church  funds.  For  his 
own  sake  as  well  as  for  the  sake  of  the 
church  which  he  represents,  no  one  man 
should  handle  the  money  alone.  The  treas- 
urers and  financial  secretaries  should  meet 
as  soon  as  convenient  after  the  close  of  the 
service  to  open  the  envelopes  and  count  the 
cash.  They  should  work  in  pairs  so  that 
every  transaction  will  have  verification  at 
the  hands  of  two  people.  One  man  should 
open  the  envelopes,  placing  the  money  be- 
fore him,  while  the  other,  receiving  the 
empty  envelope,  should  note  what  has  been 
[95] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


taken  from  it  and  check  it  accurately  on 
the  envelope  and  on  the  list  of  contributors. 
When  all  the  envelopes  have  been  opened, 
the  cash  should  be  counted,  the  amount  on 
envelopes  totaled  and  if  the  count  has  been 
accurate,  the  two  sums  will  balance.  The 
money  is  then  turned  over  to  the  treasurers, 
while  the  envelopes  go  into  the  hands  of 
the  financial  secretaries.  This  may  seem  to 
involve  unnecessary  work  and  care,  but  such 
a  plan  would  have  saved  many  churches 
from  some  serious  experiences. 

The  following  experience  has  recently 
been  related  to  the  writer.  In  a  certain 
church  the  financial  statements  had  just 
been  sent  out  to  the  contributors.  Very 
promptly  an  indignant  individual  came  to 
the  treasurer  and  accused  him  of  stealing 
ten  dollars,  which  she  claimed  to  have  put 
in  the  collection.  She  was  sure  that  she 
had  done  so  and  had  brought  it  to  the 
church  herself  in  an  envelope.    Opening  a 

[96] 


PROPER  METHODS 


drawer,  the  accused  man  brought  forth 
therefrom  a  soiled,  indecipherable  envelope, 
only  the  heavy  typed  name  of  the  church 
being  discernible.  "A  street-car  conductor 
brought  that  in  last  week.  Could  it  be  that 
this  is  your  envelope?"  said  the  treasurer. 
^'The  conductor  said  that  he  picked  it  up 
on  the  floor  of  his  car  on  Sunday  morning." 
The  envelope  was  opened  in  the  presence 
of  the  woman  and  was  found  to  contain  a 
ten  dollar  bill.  The  case  was  clear  and 
she  had  to  acknowledge  that  she  had 
dropped  it  on  the  way  to  church.  But  what 
would  have  been  the  position  of  the  treas- 
urer if  this  envelope  had  not  been  found? 

The  system  of  double  accounting  safe- 
guards the  treasurer  from  any  possible  ac- 
cusations and  gives  the  church  double  assur- 
ance that  its  funds  are  being  properly 
handled. 

We  need  more  publicity  in  our  churches 
about  the  financial  affairs.    Previous  to  the 

[97] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


beginning  of  the  year,  each  contributor 
should  receive  a  printed  statement  of  the 
budget  which  has  been  adopted  by  the 
church,  as  only  in  the  light  of  this  can  he 
possibly  make  a  contribution  intelligently. 
A  statement  should  be  made  monthly  to  the 
church  as  to  all  its  receipts  and  expendi- 
tures. In  most  churches,  however,  this  re- 
port is  made  only  once  a  year  and  therefore 
but  few  members  of  the  church  are  fully 
conversant  with  the  financial  situation. 
Every  contributor  should  receive  at  least 
once  a  quarter  a  full  printed  statement  as 
to  all  receipts  and  expenditures.  This  will 
tend  to  increase  his  interest  and  prompt  him 
to  ready  payment  and  it  will  also  tend  to 
avoid  the  possibility  of  a  deficit  in  the 
course  of  the  year.  Moreover,  the  finance 
committee  has  no  right  to  allow  any  partner 
in  this  business  to  be  ignorant  at  any  time 
regarding  the  full  financial  situation.  The 
books  of  the  treasurer  or  finance  committee 

[98] 


PROPER  METHODS 


should  without  question  be  audited  by  a 
third  party,  preferably  outside  the  church, 
at  least  once  a  year.  Many  churches  would 
have  saved  themselves  from  serious  diffi- 
culties if  this  plan  had  been  followed.  The 
good  name  of  the  treasurer  is  thus  protected 
and  the  church  has  the  full  assurance  that 
its  finances  are  in  proper  condition.  The 
number  of  churches  is  not  few  where  sus- 
picious charges  regarding  finances  are 
passed  round  from  member  to  member. 

Almost  as  important  as  the  Every  Mem- 
ber Canvass  is  a  proper  system  of  following 
up  the  pledges  and  contributions  of  the 
members.  In  many  churches  pledges  are 
taken  once  a  year  and  members  are  allowed 
to  become  delinquent  in  their  payments 
without  any  notice  being  taken  by  the 
church  of  the  fact  that  contributors  are  in 
arrears.  The  adoption  of  a  proper  follow- 
up  system  similar  to  that  which  is  used  in 
good  business  houses  would  avoid  much  un- 

[99] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


pleasantness  and  would  enable  the  churches 
to  realize  much  more  largely  upon  the 
pledges  of  assistance  which  were  given.  If 
this  matter  is  kept  promptly  in  hand,  the 
danger  of  members  losing  interest  will  be 
greatly  minimized.  The  closer  all  attend- 
ants and  contributors  are  kept  to  the  life 
of  the  church,  the  better  it  will  be  for  all 
parties  concerned. 

The  follow-up  system  may  well  be  placed 
in  the  hands  of  the  Every  Member  Canvass 
Committee,  who  may  quite  properly  follow 
up  their  own  work.  Their  business  will 
not  become  primarily  that  of  dunning 
people  for  arrears,  but  by  personal  visita- 
tion to  minister  to  their  spiritual  needs,  and 
so  keep  the  individuals  interested  in  the 
church  and  prompt  in  their  payments.  A 
retail  merchant  at  the  end  of  each  month 
goes  over  his  list  of  customers  and  if  he 
finds  any  who  have  been  failing  to  appear, 
goes  after  them  personally  or  through  a 


PROPER  METHODS 


personal  representative.  If  this  is  worth 
doing  in  order  to  get  the  profit  on  a  few 
dollars,  is  it  not  worth  while  to  keep  mem- 
bers in  touch  with  the  means  of  grace  and 
fellowship?  Frequently  the  church  has 
waited  until  the  end  of  the  quarter  and  then 
sent  out  indiscriminately  to  all  members 
statements  of  their  accounts.  In  every 
church  there  are  hard-working  men  whose 
expenses  run  close  to  their  income.  These 
not  infrequently  lose  their  positions  or  are 
overtaken  by  illness  and  their  payments  run 
behind.  In  a  large  church  no  knowledge 
of  this  fact  may  come  to  the  church  author- 
ities until  the  end  of  the  quarter.  If  under 
these  conditions  a  statement  of  accounts  is 
sent  to  this  man  with  a  request  to  pay,  he 
may  very  likely  feel  that  the  church  wants 
his  money  more  than  it  wants  him.  His 
feelings  are  very  naturally  hurt  and  he  may 
be  lost  entirely  to  the  church.  The  better 
system  would  have  kept  the  church  closely 

[lOl] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


in  touch  with  his  condition  and  would  have 
prevented  any  such  experience. 

Let  us  cite  a  case.  The  Brown  family 
of  three  members  made  pledges  to  the 
church.  The  man  worked  in  a  nail  factory 
for  twelve  dollars  a  week  and  was  the  sole 
source  of  support  for  the  family.  Each 
member  paid  his  subscription  regularly  for 
five  weeks  and  then  suddenly  the  envelopes 
ceased  to  come  in.  It  was  a  large  church 
and  no  one  noticed  the  absence  of  the  family 
and  therefore  no  word  came  from  the 
church  to  them.  Just  before  the  statements 
were  to  be  sent  out,  the  pastor  asked  a  visit- 
ing friend  what  he  would  do  in  such  a  case. 
^What  do  you  know  about  the  conditions?" 
the  friend  inquired.  "Nothing.  I  have  nine 
hundred  members  to  look  after,"  said  the 
minister.  "You  are  not  to  blame,"  said  the 
stranger,  "but  something  is  evidently  wrong. 
Make  a  personal  visitation  to  this  family 
and  let  us  watch  the  outcome."    The  pastor 

[  102] 


PROPER  METHODS 


went  to  the  house  and  found  that  Mr. 
Brown  had  been  badly  hurt  and  had  been 
confined  to  his  room  for  five  weeks.  The 
pastor  had  known  nothing  about  his  illness. 
Many  church-members  seem  to  think  that 
a  pastor  has  some  sort  of  a  wireless  appa- 
ratus in  his  head  that  enables  him  to  know 
when  any  of  his  members  are  sick  without 
any  effort  on  their  part  to  give  him  the 
information.  Returning  from  the  visit,  he 
asked  his  friend  what  he  would  do  under 
these  conditions.  The  stranger  advised  him 
not  to  send  any  statement  of  the  financial 
situation,  but  instead  he  should  request  two 
of  his  men  to  visit  the  family  of  the  sick 
man  for  a  prayer  in  the  home  and  as  they 
were  leaving  say,  "We  realize  your  condi- 
tion and  we  want  you  to  feel  that  you  are 
under  no  obligation  to  the  church  as  long 
as  you  are  without  income.  The  rest  of  us 
will  care  for  your  obligation,  which  you 
met  so  faithfully  as  long  as  you  were  well." 
[  103] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


As  the  callers  went  down  the  stairs  after  the 
suggested  visit,  the  sick  man  took  his  wife's 
hand  and  said,  ^'Well,  wife,  they  really  do 
care  for  a  fellow  some  at  that  church,  don't 
they?"  When  he  recovered,  the  first  place 
that  he  visited  outside  his  home  was  the 
church,  and  as  soon  as  he  had  returned  to 
work  again  the  envelopes  of  the  family 
were  resumed  with  their  regular  contribu- 
tion. This  effort  not  only  saved  a  con- 
tributor, but  better  than  that  kept  a  man 
near  God  and  kept  his  family  in  touch  with 
the  Christian  Church.  Both  minister  and 
people  may  learn  much  by  following  the 
envelopes  as  they  come  in  week  by  week. 
A  good  follow-up  plan  will  enable  many  a 
church  to  save  families  from  being  lost  to 
their  fellowship. 

If  a  follow-up  system  is  properly  handled, 

discipline  on  account  of  refusal  to  meet 

pledges  will  seldom  be  necessary.     In  the 

case  of  obdurate  and  final  refusal  to  meet 

[  104] 


PROPER  METHODS 


pledges  which  have  been  made  by  people 
who  are  abundantly  able  to  pay  them,  the 
church  should  certainly  take  action.  This 
is  a  sin  which  cannot  properly  be  condoned, 
and  the  church  had  better  cut  off  such 
delinquent  members  than  to  allow  its  whole 
life  to  be  in  danger.  Discipline  properly 
administered  under  these  conditions  will 
not  injure  the  church,  but  will  decidedly 
advance  its  standing  in  the  community  and 
in  the  Kingdom.  Our  gifts  are  not  made 
to  the  church,  nor  to  the  minister,  but  are 
made  to  God. 

The  bills  of  the  church  should  be  paid 
promptly  each  month ;  the  pastor  being  the 
first  man  to  receive  his  due.  If  the  church 
desires  its  credit  in  the  community  to  remain 
good,  it  cannot  possibly  allow  his  salary  to 
get  in  arrears.  Many  a  church  has  lost 
its  standing  because  it  has  forced  its  pastor 
into  bankruptcy.  Other  bills  should  be 
paid  as  they  come  due.    The  church  which 

[105] 


CHURCH  FINANCE 


pays  its  bills  regularly  has  the  sympathy 
and  respect  of  the  whole  community.  The 
church  which  allows  its  accounts  to  be  in 
arrears  is  despised  by  the  business  men. 

Equally  as  important  as  paying  the  bills 
is  the  remitting  of  missionary  money  to  the 
organizations  for  which  it  was  contributed. 
Most  churches  follow  the  plan  of  gathering 
their  collections  and  keeping  the  amount  in 
the  bank  until  the  end  of  the  year.  This 
is  no  advantage  whatever  to  the  church  un- 
less it  follows  the  dishonest  policy  of  draw- 
ing upon  missionary  funds  to  meet  expense 
accounts.  But  it  is  a  decided  detriment  to 
the  larger  interests  of  the  Church,  for  the 
missionary  societies  which  represent  the 
Church  are  compelled  to  pay  annually 
thousands  of  dollars  interest  on  money 
which  is  borrowed  to  maintain  their  work 
because  churches  hold  back  their  contribu- 
tions until  the  end  of  the  financial  year 
rather  than  forward  them  regularly  as  the 
[io6] 


PROPER  METHODS 


money  is  received.  If  our  churches  would 
adopt  the  policy  of  monthly  remittances  of 
missionary  funds,  they  would  enable  their 
own  organizations  greatly  to  increase  the 
efficiency  of  their  missionary  work. 

The  plans  which  have  been  outlined  in 
this  chapter  are  not  experiments.  They 
have  been  tried  repeatedly  in  churches  of 
all  kinds  and  in  all  parts  of  the  country 
and  the  case  is  not  yet  on  record  of  a  church 
which  has  followed  these  plans  consistently 
that  has  not  increased  its  contributions, 
simplified  its  financial  problems,  and  come 
to  rejoice  in  its  larger  work.  If  the 
churches  of  America  would  put  these  plans 
into  practical  operation,  many  of  our  prob- 
lems would  be  solved  immediately  and  the 
development  of  the  work  of  the  Kingdom 
would  go  far  beyond  any  present  antici- 
pations. 


[  107] 


Every  church  should  have: 

1.  A  card  index  of  all  members  of  the 

parish. 

(i)  A  card  for  every  man,  woman, 
and  child  in  the  life  of  the 
church,  woman's  work,  Bible 
School,  Young  People's  So- 
ciety, Men's  Brotherhood. 

(2)  The   right  address  upon  each 

card. 

(3)  What  each  one  is  giving — how 

they  give  it. 

2.  A  treasurer's  record  book  for  each  fund. 

3.  A  financial  secretary's  record  book  for 

each  fund. 

4.  Pledge  cards. 

5.  Statement  blanks. 

6.  Copies  of  the  budget  for  the  year. 

7.  Duplex  envelopes  for  every  member,  if 

possible. 

8.  Assigned  pews  for  regular  attendants. 


[108] 


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